


Touch Each Other at the Same Time

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Fake Dating, First Kiss, First Time, M/M, discovery of feelings, for about five seconds, i'm such a fucking sap, men in makeup, mike and sonny both identify as queer, mike dodds is a full side of beef, rest of the squad as necessary, twinks don't have a height limit sonny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2020-10-14 02:50:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20593457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: To be certain Mike and Sonny can properly play a couple to attract a perp targeting couples, they go on a fake date. Casefic with feelings.





	1. Chapter 1

After the third attack, they know it's a pattern. Liv gets the squad around the table and breaks down what they know. 

"Okay, Pattern 17 is male, tall, and blonde. He likes to watch couples have sex, and he attacks when they're in the middle of the act. He frequents bars known to be welcoming to poly people and definitely has a type: Two males. One always very fit and seemingly very masculine, the other thinner and smaller than his partner to some degree and giving off what he seems to read as a more feminine vibe."

"So, a classic bear and a pretty twink," Amanda says. 

"More or less," Liv agrees because it's not inaccurate. "He's charming--of course--and stays at nice hotels, so he seems safe. He attacks with a blunt object, but we don't know what. No one's who's gotten hit on the head remembers, and the ones who took body blows never see it coming. The docs in the ERs haven't been able to tell us more than it's a round object, about two inches wide and made of metal."

"Pipe," Fin guesses. "Maybe a hand tool. Homemade club, even."

"Exactly," Liv says.

"Does anyone remember him saying anything as he's attacked?" Mike asks. "Any hint why he does it?"

"If he does, no one remembers," Liv replies. "He says all the right things at the bar to get them to go with him, and then stays silent while he's watching. Classic voyeur, really."

"We've checked security cameras and hotel records, but there's a lot of tall, blonde men going in and out," Sonny says, picking up the story. "We don't know if our guy is paying cash or using a stolen credit card, and it's hard to pin down who he might be since the hotels he uses are frequented by people in the city on business."

"Places that are common to be at for less than 24 hours before you disappear again," Amanda says.

"He's smart," Fin adds. 

"That makes him more dangerous," Mike says. "He's clearly put some thought into what he's doing."

"He has," Liv agrees. "He's attacking on weekends, usually Saturday nights. He's been to three different bars in the last seven weeks. Based on his pattern so far, he's likely to strike again this weekend."

Sonny taps a button on his laptop, and a map shows up on the big board. "Everything green is a bar in the city known for being friendly to poly people."

"How'd you even find that out?" Amanda asks.

"Pretty easy find on the internet," Sonny replies, "and a couple of my friends are poly, so they helped verify what I found."

"Nice," Amanda says. 

"Everything blue," Sonny says, tapping another button to turn three of the locations blue, "is the bars this guy's already hit. And everything red," he taps a third button, "is the hotels he's stayed at."

"He likes one neighborhood," Fin says. 

"Or he's working his way through," Mike replies, standing up to get a closer look at the map. "He's working in a straight line from the first bar in the neighborhood." He trails his finger across the three blue markers, then stops with his finger on the next bar. "What's the closest hotel?"

Sonny looks at his screen, then clicks a square, turning it red. "Two blocks away," he says. "A Marriott. Lots of business traffic."

Mike looks at Liv. "This is our best bet," he says. 

"I agree," Liv responds. "Which brings us to the next part of this." She leans over her own laptop and presses a button. Photos of all the couples who have been attacked come up on the board. A trio of smiling pictures from some event or another where they took the time to get a couples' photo. "You and Sonny need to let me know if you're comfortable playing the role of romantic partners. Usually, I wouldn't worry, but given that you'll need to at least pretend to start having sex, I want you to really consider where your boundaries are."

"I'm good with whatever," Sonny says, looking at the thinner partners in all the photos. "I mean, it's not like I've never worn eyeliner and lipstick out to the bar."

"I'm fine, too, Lieutenant," Mike replies. "It's what's needed for this to work."

"I appreciate you both being ready to do this, but take some time to talk to each other first," Liv says. "Just be certain you can really commit to the physical side of things."

"You two should have a fake date," Amanda says. "Go to one of the bars outside of the zone with the Sarge all manned up, and Sonny twinked out."

"Twinked out?" Sonny asks. "C'mon, Amanda. I can sell that I'm smaller than the Sarge, but I'm not a twink. I'm too tall."

Amanda gives Sonny a sympathetic look. "Awww, buddy. Do you really think there's a height restriction for twinks?"

"You sure don't have the body hair to be an otter," Fin adds.

"Before this devolves into an actual argument," Liv interrupts, knowing her detectives entirely too well, "I will say I think Amanda's idea of a fake date could be useful. Go out. Act like a couple. Get used to touching each other."

Mike looks at Sonny. "I'm game if you are."

Sonny shrugs. "Sure. Tonight?"

"Sounds good. Eight?"

"Yeah. Wanna just meet at my place? There's a bar near me that fits the bill."

"Works for me."

"The romantic tension is killing me," Amanda says, and everyone laughs. 

*

Two hours later, Liv calls Mike into her office and closes the door behind him. "I just want to check with you privately if you're still feeling up to the undercover gig," she says as she sits at her desk again. "I know you said you were, and I don't doubt that you meant it, but you've had a couple of hours to think."

"I'm good with is, Lieutenant," Mike says, leaning back in his chair. "Sonny and I are friendly, and we both understand how important this is."

"It's more important that you two know it's okay to not want to take this on," Liv says. "SVU's undercover requirements aren't always so intense, and you've never done an assignment that requires this sort of effort."

"The only way to learn is to do it," Mike replies. He leans forward, elbows on his knees. "Are you gonna talk to Sonny, too, or is this just a talk for the new guy?"

Liv chuckles at his observation. "I'm going to talk to Sonny after you two go out tonight. I've seen enough of his work to know he's mentally prepared to do what's required. If he thinks something's off in your dry run, he'll say so."

"Well, sounds like we're all fine, then," Mike says.

Liv looks at him for a long moment, wondering how he can be so matter-of-fact yet so earnest. "I suppose we are," she agrees. "Thanks for the talk."

"Happy to help, Lieutenant."

*

Sonny and Amanda use their lunch break to make a run to Sephora.

"I don't understand why you need new makeup for this," Amanda says as Sonny rubs highlighter samples onto his hand.

"Two of the victims were wearing holographic highlighter," Sonny answers. "I don't have any."

"Okay, but we could grab that at the drugstore, and you know it."

Sonny glances across the store at the Balm display. "There's a BOGO on the new nude lipsticks from Balm."

"I fucking knew it," Amanda says. "What color do you want?"

"Something pinkish," Sonny replies. 

"Okay, I'll see what they have."

*

Sonny decides to keep his look simple that night. He digs out his orange Chucks and his favorite slim cut jeans to wear out. He pairs them with a tank top covered in tiny bi pride flags and puts the holographic highlighter on his cheekbones and down the bridge of his nose before lining his eyes with a purple eyeliner and using the new pinkish nude lipstick that Amanda had picked out for him at lunch. He reviews his whole look in the full-length mirror in his bedroom and adds a rainbow wooden bead bracelet for a final touch. He's slipping his wallet into his pocket when there's a knock on the door.

Sonny checks the peephole just to be safe, but of course it's Mike. It's 7:50. Sonny opens the door, mouth half-open to say hello, but then he gets a good look at Mike's outfit and can't say a word.

Mike's in a gray T-shirt that looks very soft and old. His biceps and shoulders absolutely strain against the fabric, making his chest look especially broad. He's wearing dark wash jeans and a thick, black leather belt, along with a pair of well-worn combat boots Sonny are fairly certain are from when he was in the Rangers. There's a heavy, silver watch on his left wrist, and he's carrying a black leather jacket.

"Wow," Mike says, looking Sonny up and down. "You look really good."

"I was about to say the same," Sonny says with a grin. He reaches over and grabs a dark gray hoodie off his coat rack. "Ready?"

"Sure." Mike takes a step back so Sonny can close and lock his apartment door. "Have you been to this bar before?" Mike asks.

"Couple of times, but it's been…" Sonny tries to do the math in his head. "Awhile," he finally says. Mike chuckles, and Sonny feels himself grin. "Between work and my night classes, I'm pretty booked up."

"I know the feeling," Mike says as he pushes the button for the elevator. "Not about night classes, I mean, but I'm working more just being part of SVU, then all the paperwork I have to keep up with. I know this is a fake date, but at least I'm out of the house, you know?"

"Oh, I know," Sonny agrees with a grin. "This is probably gonna make me itchy to get out more, honestly."

"Well, if we have fun, maybe we can do it together," Mike offers. He blushes suddenly, and Sonny's earlier tounge-tied reaction comes back fast because Mike is kind of super cute when he blushes. "Not like a date," Mike says quickly. "But, you know, as friends."

"Yeah," Sonny says, feeling sort of dumb for how it comes out breathy. "That'd be cool. Although, I mean, I think it's pretty obvious I'm an actual queer," he says, gesturing to his shirt, "but we don't always have to go to queer clubs."

"Oh! That's okay!" Mike says, so loudly it echoes in the elevator. His blush flares again. "Um, sorry. I mean that I'm queer, too, so it'd be nice to be able to go out with someone who is."

"Are you out at work?" Sonny asks.

Mike shrugs. "I'm not-not out? I guess? I mean, I haven't really dated the last couple of years, so it hasn't come up, but if we wanna make plans when we're in the squad, I'm fine with that."

"Okay, cool. Just wanted to be sure." Sonny can feel his own blush coming on, though he isn't sure why. "I'm out, but I also haven't dated in awhile, so you might not have known."

"I didn't," Mike says. 

The elevator doors open, and they step into the lobby. Sonny pulls out his phone, waving it at Mike. "You wanna take the bus or get a Lyft? There's always cars nearby."

"Lyft is good," Mike says. He shrugs on his jacket, and Sonny nearly drops his phone at how it makes him look even more attractive. 

He clears his throat quietly and concentrates on choosing a car. This is a fake date with his Sarge, someone who he is definitely friendly with but _not_ someone he is actually dating. He needs to keep his ogling to a minimum. They're on the job.

*

Mike opens the lobby door for Sonny and lets himself sneak a glance at the back view of his look. He bites his lip at how well Sonny's jeans hug his ass. He'd barely been able to speak when Sonny had opened the door to his apartment and Mike had gotten a look at him in a tank top with his biceps on display and his jeans more snug than any suit Mike's seen him in at work. It'd gotten worse when he'd looked at Sonny's face and seen how bright his eyes had looked with purple eyeliner and how he'd brought out his cheekbones with the sparkly highlighter he'd bought on his lunch break. 

Sonny glances up and down the block, clearly looking for the Lyft, and Mike takes a deep breath before pressing his hand lightly to Sonny's back. "This okay?" he asks. 

"Oh, yeah," Sonny replies. He gives Mike a quick smile, his lips more distracting for Mike than usual because of the color he's wearing. It's not too far off from the actual color of Sonny's mouth, but it's a little richer, really bringing into focus how full his lips are. "Just assume I'm good with any sort of coupley touch," Sonny says. "Hand holding, arm around the shoulder, around the waist, all that."

"I will," Mike replies. "I'm good with hand holding, but I get antsy having someone's arm around me. It makes me feel a little claustrophobic."

"What about holding your arm?" Sonny asks. He demonstrates by taking a step to the side so he can wrap his hand just above Mike's elbow. "Like that?"

It takes Mike a moment to speak. The touch feels weirdly intimate, even through his jacket. "Yeah, that's good," he says. 

"Cool." Sonny's phone pings, and he looks down again. "Okay, says the car is pulling up." He stretches on his toes to look over the cars parked in the street. "There," he says, pointing to the left. When he drops his heels, he leans into Mike for a moment, squeezing his arm with both hands for a second. 

Mike is certain he doesn't even know he did it, the gesture so natural he knows it's something Sonny's probably done with boyfriends before. "Lead the way," he says. 

*

They talk about nothing important in the Lyft, but they hold hands the whole way. Sonny turns to hold out his hand to find Mike's already go his hand open, palm up. Sonny slides their palms together, then settles his fingers between Mike's. Mike's hand is wider than his, but his fingers are slightly shorter. His palm is warm, and Sonny can feel the callus on his third finger where his pen must rest when he writes reports. 

"This is gonna be a good night," Mike says quietly. He rubs his thumb up the side of Sonny's index finger in an absent sort of gesture, and for a second, Sonny completely forgets they're not actually dating. 

"Yeah," he agrees, glad his voice sounds normal. He squeezes Mike's hand lightly and watches Mike smile softly at him. 

*

Mike isn't actually sure how he survives the ride to the bar without grabbing Sonny and kissing him. He looks so sweetly pleased when he sees Mike holding out his hand, and when he squeezes Mike's hand, Mike feels like his insides light up and buzz quietly. He has to force himself to stay relaxed and not give himself away. This is work. It's important to remember that.

*

The bar is half-full and growing crowded when they walk inside. Mike takes Sonny at his word and spreads a hand across his back as they walk to the bar and order beers. Sonny leans briefly against Mike's side as they wait for the bartender to pull their drinks and flashes him a quick smile. There's a DJ setting up in the far corner at the back of the dance floor. It's going to get loud in here soon, though it's already noisy enough they have to stay right next to each other to talk.

"Do you dance?" Sonny asks, mouth close to Mike's ear so he doesn't have to shout.

"Yeah," Mike answers. "But I'm a little rusty."

Sonny shrugs. "Me, too. We'll work with it."

A younger guy wearing a tiny top hat pinned to his hair walks up to them and grins. "Gentlemen, we have a coat check if you'd like to use it. Just three bucks a jacket."

"That would be great," Mike says, tossing his jacket off his shoulders and letting it slide down his arms. 

"Sure," Sonny agrees, pulling his hoodie off one sleeve at a time.

The guy watches them both with open appreciation. "Lean protein and a side of beef all at once," he says, draping their jackets over his arm and giving them each a ticket. "Get me a stalk of asparagus, and I'd have a full meal."

Mike laughs. Sonny points to the guy's cheek, and when the guy nods and turns his face towards Sonny, Sonny leans in and pecks a kiss. 

"You still have to pay full price for the coats," the man says. "I'm slutty. Not cheap."

"Of course," Mike says.

The guy gives them both one final, heated look, then walks away to the coat check area. 

Sonny and Mike look at each other and laugh. "Nice to know we've still got it," Sonny says, tucking his hand into MIke's elbow, then picking up his beer.

"Yeah," Mike says, picking up his own beer and clinking it against Sonny's. "That was fun."

*

The DJ gets going, and Sonny goads Mike into chugging his beer before pulling him onto the dance floor. It's mostly full halfway through the first song, but Sonny finds them a spot with a bit of room and rocks his hips to the beat a few times before leaning in towards Mike and asking, "How do you like to dance?"

Mike hovers his hands just above Sonny's hips and waits for Sonny to nod assent before grabbing him and pulling him close, his chest pressed full-length against Sonny's, and Sonny straddling one of his thighs. He moves to the beat with ease, and Sonny drapes his arms over Mike's shoulders so he doesn't do something stupid like get his hands under Mike's shirt. He can feel Mike's pecs and the strength of his thigh, and Sonny throws back his head so Mike can't see how turned on he is. This is work. He doesn't want to make it weird. 

There's the tiniest flutter of touch on his neck, and when Sonny looks at Mike again, Mike looks embarrassed. "Did you…?" Sonny mouths.

*

He doesn't mean to do it. He really doesn't. But when Sonny throws his head back, the dance lights flash colors against his skin, and Mike can see the barest hint of sweat just starting to build on his neck. He dips his head and just barely presses his mouth to the tendon on the left side of Sonny's throat. He pulls away as quickly, hoping that Sonny hadn't felt anything, but then Sonny's looking at him, confused but not mad. 

"Did you…?" Sonny mouths, and he raises one arm from Mike's shoulder to touch his fingers to the place Mike had just kissed. 

Mike doesn't know what to do except nod. He's not going to make things worse by lying about it. He leans in so Sonny can hear him speak. "I'm sorry. That was inappropriate." He moves to pull away, but Sonny grabs the back of his neck and holds Mike in place so they're staring into each other's eyes.

*

Sonny doesn't really know what he's doing when he grabs Mike by the back of the neck. Mike's apology is sincere, and Sonny acts on instinct so Mike doesn't step away before Sonny can explain that he's not mad. 

He and Mike stare at each other for a moment, and Sonny tries to figure out what to do. He still has his other hand pressed to the spot Mike kissed. He lifts it and presses his fingertips against his lips, then lays his fingertips on the same spot on Mike's neck. Mike's eyes go wide, but the fear disappears, and Sonny shrugs and pulls Mike in so he can shout in his ear. "It's okay, but we should talk later."

MIke laughs, a warm puff against Sonny's cheek and a comfortable pressure on his chest where they're touching. Mike nods against Sonny's cheek and pulls back so they can see each other again, but he doesn't try to get out of Sonny's grip. He slides his hand from Sonny's hip to his back and presses until Sonny's absolutely plastered against him. 

Sonny grins. He keeps one hand wrapped at Mike's neck and grips the side of his T-shirt with the other. Mike leans down so their foreheads are touching as they find the rhythm of the song again, and they stare at each other and dance. 

*

They dance for four songs, then take a break for another beer. Sonny points towards a set of stairs, and Mike nods to show he'll follow. 

The stairs lead to a quieter space, and that quieter space leads to a balcony. Mike steps out on it with Sonny and shivers as the cooler air hits him. "You okay?" he asks as he watches a similar shiver travel through Sonny.

"I'm good," Sonny replies. He tucks his hand into Mike's elbow and finds them a quiet spot, half-hidden by a lattice with Christmas lights attached. "So," Sonny says as he turns to face Mike, "I'm guessing this isn't the fake date you were expecting, huh?"

Mike laughs, surprised and delighted at Sonny's candor. "No," he admits. "But I think that's maybe okay."

Sonny grins. "I mean, yeah."

Mike licks his lips and watches the way Sonny's highlighter shimmers in the twinkle from the Christmas lights. He thinks about how Sonny has always treated him like one of the squad and how he's been happy to get to know Mike better. "I like you," Mike says because it's true and because Sonny's giving him a chance to explain himself. "And I'm pretty good at compartmentalizing, so I think I didn't realize how _much_ I liked you until tonight."

Sonny snorts. "Lucky you. The first time I saw you, I sent Amanda a text message that was just 'New Sarge' and a series of peach emojis."

Mike stares. "What?"

Sonny shrugs, completely unselfconscious. "You have a good butt," he says. "And then we were getting to know each other, and I figured I'd just see where things went. If you never showed a romantic interest in me, we'd be friends."

Mike is touched by Sonny's sincerity. "Yeah?"

"Sure. I'm not saying I wouldn't have entertained a fantasy now and then, but I wouldn't tell you."

Mike feels very warm, suddenly, and he takes a step closer to Sonny without thinking about it. "You've had fantasies?" he asks. 

*

Sonny is a little surprised at the way Mike's whole demeanor changes the moment he mentions fantasies. It's like he becomes almost liquid, moving into Sonny's personal space in a fluid move that makes the hair on the back of Sonny's neck prickle in a very good way. 

"You've had fantasies?" Mike asks. His voice is lower than usual, more of a rumble from his chest than a true speaking voice.

Sonny wants to press his hand to Mike's chest and feel that rumble. He holds himself back. Now is not the time. "Yeah," he says, and the way Mike's eyes flash makes Sonny glad he's admitted it. "But I'm not providing a list on a fake date." He means it to be light-hearted, but Mike's face goes serious.

"Shit," Mike mutters, stepping back.

"I didn't mean--" Sonny starts, but Mike grabs his hand before he can finish.

"We have to focus on the task at hand," Mike says, his sincerity so sweet Sonny can't do anything but nod. "There's someone out there hurting people, and we're here tonight to make sure we can convincingly trick him into luring us into his trap."

"Well, I think we've decided that's possible," Sonny says.

Mike nods, humor coming back to his face. "Agreed," he says. "But I think tonight is the worst night to do more than agree that we definitely need to spend some time together on an actual date."

Sonny nods again, much more in the moment now that he's had a second to adjust. "I don't want to jeopardize getting this guy, either. It's better for the case if we don't jump in the deep end on…" he waves a hand between them, "...this tonight."

"Exactly," Mike says.

*

Mike watches Sonny, unable to look away but trying to all the same because they really do need to keep things as they are for the moment. Sonny's whole body relaxes as Mike looks at him, and Mike is pretty sure Sonny can read the want in his own face. 

"How about this?" Sonny says, rocking back on his heels like he needs to burn the energy. "We go back in. We dance some more. You see me back to my place--just the front door, not my actual apartment door--and we go our separate ways with the agreement that after we get this guy, we're coming back here for a real date. You, me, beer, and dancing."

Mike feels the grin break across his face and nods. "Deal," he says.

"Oh," Sonny says like it's an afterthought, but Mike's seen him in enough interrogations by now to know when he's just playacting. "And kissing." He bites his bottom lip right after he says it. 

Mike stares at Sonny's extra-pink mouth, then looks Sonny in the eyes. The look in them tells Mike that Sonny knows exactly what he's doing. It fires up his competitive side, and he can't help but lean in an inch and up the stakes. "I wouldn't say no to a bathroom handjob," he says. 

*

Bathroom handjob. Sonny short circuits for a moment at those words. He pulls himself together as quickly as he can. "I refuse to agree to that until it can happen," he says. "It's way too distracting."

Mike's chuckle is filthy and perfect. "Okay," he says. He holds out his hand, palm up just like it was in the car. "Let's go dance."

"Sounds great," Sonny agrees, and he lets Mike lead him back inside.

*

They do exactly what they agree to. They dance. They have another beer. Mike sees Sonny to the front door of his building. Under the shower at his own place, Mike jerks off to the way Sonny felt against him on the dance floor, all arms and legs and a bright smile. Teasing him a little, but no worse than Mike teased back. He'd felt perfect under Mike's hands, strong and lean and hot to the touch. 

He comes thinking about how Sonny had tipped back his head and glowed under the lights. 

*

Sonny jerks off in bed, laying flat on his back and thinking about how thick Mike's thigh was between his legs and how wide his shoulders were when he laid his hands on them. He pictures the sweat at Mike's hairline and the way he'd smiled so easily when Sonny met his eyes.

He comes thinking about Mike's hands on his hips, the way they'd held him close.


	2. Chapter 2

Mike walks into Liv's office first thing the next morning and hopes he doesn't seem overeager when he says, "Last night went just fine. Sonny and I danced some and had a couple of beers, and it was comfortable. I don't think we'll have any problem with the assignment."

"Good," Liv says. She smiles at him. "Thanks for letting me know, and thanks for understanding why I was asking you to be sure."

Mike thinks about that for a second, then takes a deep breath and decides to go for it. "Lieutenant, it strikes me that you probably don't know that I'm queer."

Liv leans back in her chair, clearly surprised. "No, I didn't, but thank you for trusting me," she replies. "Although, I do want to be clear that no matter your orientation, my concern was focused on you being comfortable playacting some pretty intimate things period, not just with Sonny because he's a man."

"I didn't think that's why you asked me to think about it," Mike answers because it's true. "I do appreciate your concern about my comfort level."

"Thank you," Liv replies. She smiles again. "And I'll keep your orientation to myself until you're ready to make it known to the rest of the squad."

"Well, Sonny already knows, so no problem there," Mike says. "And I don't care if it comes up in conversation with anyone else. I mean, my dad's known for a long time, so I'm not in the closet there, and I'm really not in the closet at all. I just haven't dated in awhile, so it hasn't come up."

"Okay," Liv says. "I'll still do my best not to discuss your personal life with the squad. It's not my place."

"Thank you," Mike replies. He gives her a small nod before he leaves her office. 

Sonny's walking in just as Mike closes the door behind him, and for a moment, he can't help but stare. Sonny's wearing a gray suit with a dark green tie and a shirt that Mike thinks is ivory, though he's the first to admit he's not a guy who can easily name various hues of any color. What he does know is that there's a slightly pink undertone to the shirt that brings out the pink in Sonny's lips, and Mike is hit very hard with the fact that he didn't get to kiss Sonny goodnight last night. 

"Morning, Sarge," Sonny says, flashing him a smile. On the surface, he seems unaffected to see Mike after last night, but there's a quick flash of something in his eyes that tells Mike he's just very good at covering his tracks. 

"Morning," Mike replies. He doesn't try to say more. He feels tongue-tied by how good Sonny looks and isn't sure the next words out of his mouth won't be a dinner invite. He shakes his head at himself and turns towards his desk. This always happens to him. Once he realizes he has a crush, he has to stop himself from standing too close or trying too hard to get attention. Knowing that Sonny would welcome a quick chat as he poured his coffee or Mike finding a reason to lean in and talk as they looked at a casefile just makes it that much harder to push down the urge. 

But he will because they agreed to wait. If he needs an extra couple of seconds at his desk to clear his head of Sonny's smile, it's really not a hardship. 

*

Sonny pours his coffee and takes a deep breath, letting the burned-over smell of the carafe ground him back in reality and away from the sudden need--upon seeing Mike walk out of Liv's office--to go over and slide his hands around Mike's waist. 

He's noticed Mike before, hard not to given the sheer size of him, but now that he's seen Mike in casual clothes and knows the exact curve of his pecs under a T-shirt, he's got a whole new layer of awareness. Seeing Mike walk out of Liv's office and turn to shut the door, his white dress shirt pulling across his chest, Sonny had nearly tripped over himself as he walked into the squadroom. Add to that that Mike's tie today is a deep blue that isn't trendy but _does_ compliment his complexion, and Sonny's impressed he made it through saying good morning without adding something dumb like, 'you look good,' or 'we absolutely need to have dinner together immediately.' 

"Carisi," Liv calls from the doorway of her office, "come in here a second."

"Sure, Lieu," Sonny says, glad to have the distraction. He walks into Liv's office and closes the door behind him. "What's up?"

Liv sits behind her desk and gives Sonny a quick smile. "Nothing major. I just wanted your take on how things went last night with Mike."

Sonny shrugs, having to take a moment to clamp down on a sudden, giddy shiver that tries to run through him. "Fine. We danced. We had a couple of beers. We talked about some physical boundaries."

"Okay. You think you two can handle this then?" She's watching him intently, the way she always does when she asks him to go undercover. When he'd first started, Sonny had thought it was distrust in his abilities, but now he knows that Liv trusts him completely and wants to be sure he's actually okay with the work he has to do while pretending to be someone else. 

"We've got this," Sonny tells her. "I was thinking this morning I can run him through a few moves that can make us look distracted in each other but not require us to actually take off our pants in front of this guy. In case we need to give chase or something."

It's a lie. He'd actually been thinking about how Mike had just barely kissed his neck and how he'd wished he'd actually done the same back rather than touch with his fingers, but he figures it's close enough to the truth, he can sell it.

Liv's intent look has gone a little sly. She's picked up that he's off a little. Sonny stays loose and waits for her to say something else. 

"That's smart," Liv says after a long moment. "Good thinking."

"Thanks, Lieu," Sonny says, and the smile he gives her isn't a lie at all. He watches her relax back into her chair, still watching him, but less concerned. 

"That's all I needed," Liv says, waving a hand to dismiss him. "Mike says it went well, too. So consider you both signed up for Saturday night."

"No problem," Sonny says and lets himself out of the office. Amanda and Fin have both made it in, and Amanda is waiting at his desk, grin wide as he sits down.

"So, how was it?" she asks, glancing at Mike. "Was it a good fake date?"

Sonny sips his coffee to give himself a second to find a way to answer. "I mean, he's cute, but I don't think he's gonna call."

"Don't count yourself out just yet, Carisi," Mike says, standing from his desk as Liv comes out of her office for the morning check in. "Maybe he's a gentleman, and he's gonna wait three days."

Amanda laughs and walks over to the conference table to take her seat for the check in. Fin sits next to her. Sonny feels the ghost of a touch from Mike on his back as they walk over together. 

"Too much?" Mike mutters.

"No, it was funny," Sonny assures him, and he can't help but give him a smile. 

*

Liv starts the rundown on their current caseload, and Mike tries to pay attention, but Sonny's right next to him, and if Mike turns his head slightly, he can see the exact spot where he kissed Sonny the night before. 

He doesn't turn to look. He keeps his eyes on his notes or on Liv. He answers questions when he's asked, and he manages, he thinks, to present a pretty good front of not being any different from yesterday. 

"And lastly," Liv says as she closes her laptop and takes off her reading glasses, "Pattern 17 was quiet last night as far as we know. The current plan is what it was yesterday: for Carisi and Dodds to go undercover on Saturday night. Fin, if you'll get the paperwork together for earpieces and a van, I'll sign off so we're ready when we need to be. Rollins, check the statements from the previous vics and see if we have any more details about mister tall and blonde and check if he chooses his targets at a specific time. We don't want to show up later than he does."

"On it," Fin says.

"Same," Amanda adds.

"And you two," Liv says, pointing at Sonny and Mike, "do a bit more playacting. I'm sure you can sell this, and you've both told me you're fine with doing the job, but our previous vics were attacked while half-naked and putting on a show, so go somewhere and have a conversation about the _exact_ nature of your boundaries for this and don't be afraid to make it awkward now so it won't be awkward later."

"Of course," Mike answers on auto-pilot. It's exactly the right thing to do. He glances at Sonny, who's looking at him and gives him a small nod. 

"How about after lunch sometime?" Sonny offers. "I need to make some calls on the Coburn case."

"Works for me," Mike says. He has reports he needs to review and sign off on. "Just grab me whenever."

"Can do."

They all split up to their various tasks, and Mike sits back down at his desk feeling like his interest in whatever they're going to do after lunch is showing bright as a neon sign over his head. He risks a glance at Sonny, but Sonny's leaning over his notebook, phone already to his ear as he dials a number. 

Mike takes a long drink of his lukewarm coffee and flips open the first report on his stack. He needs to focus.

*

Sonny's grateful for the somewhat grinding effort of making calls in the Coburn case. It's been a slow-moving investigation, hampered at every step by people who don't want to say too much or intentionally say too little. A male victim, a well-connected father, and a third wife of the "just barely older than her stepson" variety means Sonny's spent the last few weeks having to wring blood from an onion to get anywhere. He'd usually be grumbling to himself about making another round of calls in hopes of getting some new sliver of information, but the concentration he needs to stay polite but firm keeps him from spending too much time thinking about Mike and after lunch.

He can't help looking at him, though, as he waits for various people to pick up their phones. Mike keeps his head down, clearly focused on his work in a way Sonny isn't. Sonny's caught by the line of his nose and the way he flips his pen back and forth between his fingers as he reads reports. He's noticed the fidgeting before--Amanda jokes it's because it takes one to know one--but now he knows what Mike's palm feels like against his own, and Sonny wonders if he'll be able to keep a straight face when they "playact" after lunch. 

*

Mike hits the bottom of his stack of reports and closes the folder slowly. It's exactly lunch time. He glances towards Sonny's desk and sees he's still on the phone. He's got a crease between his eyes that means he's holding onto the last of his patience, and Mike's on his feet without thinking, walking over and sitting in the chair next to Sonny's desk while flashing him a supportive smile. 

"...I'd really rather talk to Marcus," Sonny says with a thin-veiled exasperation that tells Mike he's already asked more than once. "And, honestly, counselor, I don't need your permission, and I don't need you there. He's not a suspect; he's the victim, and what you're doing right now could be considered hindering an investigation." Sonny winces, then hangs up his phone. "He hung up," he says. 

Mike chuckles. "Imagine." He glances at Sonny's notes. "Anything new?"

"DNA's still in process. Mr. Coburn called me an asshole. Mrs. Coburn had nothing to say. Marcus texted me wanting to talk, but I didn't want to touch base with him again until I tried to go through the proper channels. Mr. Coburn sent me to his lawyer, and well, you saw the end of that."

"I assume you told everyone that Marcus texted you."

Sonny shakes his head. "I said he'd gotten in touch. Given how hard it's been to get anyone to say anything, I didn't want to give them enough information to cut him off from reaching out again. Not sure it won't stop them from checking his phone, but I can hope. I mean, he's sixteen, so I don't _need_ anyone with him to talk to us, but I don't wanna get accused of trying to go around the lawyer."

Mike wants to reach out and squeeze Sonny's hand, tell him he's doing his best. He curls his hand on his leg instead and tries another supportive smile. "If he's contacted you once, he'll do it again. You've done what you can to get permission. I think you're in the clear to just make a plan to meet him next time."

Sonny breathes out and stretches his arms. Mike has a sudden flashback to the shape of his biceps under his hands. "Yeah," Sonny agrees, then drops his arms. "You ready for lunch?" he asks.

"Yeah," Mike says, standing up. "I thought we'd figure out lunch and where to go to…" He trails off, struck into silence as it hits him again exactly what they're going to do. 

"Playact?" Sonny asks, grin a bit impish. 

"Yeah," Mike says. "That."

*

When Mike trails off, Sonny almost laughs. Not because it's funny but because he suddenly feels wound tight with everything he wants to do to Mike and the fact they've set a solid boundary until the case is over. 

"Playact?" he supplies, unable to completely hide his teasing grin.

He's relieved when Mike smiles and says, "Yeah. That."

"Where do you wanna go to do that?" Sonny asks. "My place is totally an option, if you want."

"Um, I was actually hoping we could go to mine," Mike says. "I'm closer, and…" He shrugs, and Sonny is surprised to see he's blushing just a little, right on the tips of his ears. "I'd be more comfortable in my own space to hammer this out."

Sonny nods, hoping he doesn't seem too eager to see Mike's place. "Sure. Works for me. We could order something rather than sit down someplace if that works for you."

"Yeah, I think that'd be best." Mike stands and glances at Liv's door. "I'll let the Lieu know where we'll be if we're needed."

"Sure," Sonny says. He watches Mike walk away, having to work not to take in the whole line of his body from shoulders to thighs. He sets his laptop to sleep and scribbles a note for Amanda, sticking it to her laptop as Mike comes back out of Liv's office.

"Lieu says we're good to go," Mike says. "There's an Ethiopian place near my apartment I really like if you want to try it."

"I haven't had Ethiopian food in forever," Sonny replies. "Sounds great."

They walk out of the station side-by-side, and Sonny has to stop himself from tucking his hand into Mike's elbow like he did the night before. They need to stay professional. It's the smartest way to get through this assignment. Starting a relationship just before an undercover gig is a bad idea. 

Mike's hand presses lightly against Sonny's back as they step onto the subway platform and wait for the train, and Sonny feels like he'd give up every professional instinct he has just to feel that hand press more firmly. 

*

Mike swears he can feel the warmth of Sonny's back all the way to his apartment, even though he drops his hand the moment they're on the train and doesn't touch Sonny at all. They ride standing up. The car's mostly full given it's lunchtime, and neither of them are the type to take a seat someone else might need. They share a pole, Mike's hand just slightly above Sonny's their bodies swaying a tiny bit closer then back with the movement of the train. Sonny doesn't speak, and neither does Mike. It feels comfortable, right. Like dancing together last night or the way Sonny's hand fit against his elbow.

"Next stop," Mike says to Sonny, and Sonny nods. They get off at the next stop, and Mike leads them up to street level and across the street. He's two blocks from the subway, and they walk it side-by-side when they can, Sonny dropping back behind him if people are coming from the other direction.

There's a thrill running through Mike's blood as he taps in the code for the front door of his building and holds the door for Sonny. It reminds him of being a teenager and sneaking his latest crush into the house to make out while his dad was at work. Like they're getting away with something by following the Lieu's orders.

Mike's impressed his hands aren't shaking as he unlocks his apartment door. He can feel Sonny behind him, and he wonders if Sonny feels as wound up as he does. He steps into his apartment and holds open the door for Sonny to follow, then closes the door behind him. He hangs up his keys and turns to Sonny to offer to take his suit jacket. Sonny's barely out of reach, and then he's fully in reach because he's pressed against Mike's chest and pushing Mike's back against the door. 

"Sorry," Sonny says, "I shouldn't--"

Mike grabs Sonny's lapels before he can back away. "No, it's--"

"We should wait like we talked about," Sonny says. "Until after undercover."

"Right," Mike agrees. 

They stare at each other for a moment, then Sonny lifts his hands from Mike's chest. Mike's about to let go of Sonny's lapels, but then Sonny slides his hands over Mike's shoulders. 

"But…" Sonny digs his fingertips briefly into Mike's back, then lets up. "I also really want to know what it feels like to kiss you before we might have to do it in front of a violent offender."

"That's fair," Mike says, though he barely recognizes his own voice. It makes him laugh for a second, and the way Sonny smiles makes him laugh more. "God, I feel like a teenager," he admits.

"Maybe because we're trying not to go too far," Sonny says. 

"Maybe," Mike replies. He lets go of Sonny's lapels and slides his hands around Sonny's sides. "You can kiss me," he says.

He expects Sonny to lift up on his toes and kiss him on the mouth. He already has his lips parted a bit in anticipation. But instead, Sonny stays flat-footed and kisses Mike on his neck, right where Mike kissed him last night. Mike doesn't try to stop the quiet, needy noise he makes. It feels electric but also sweet, Sonny only kissing Mike as much as Mike kissed him. It makes his knees weak, and he slides down the door a couple of inches, opening his legs to accommodate his shifting center of gravity. He makes another noise when Sonny shifts to fit between his legs and lifts his head from Mike's neck.

*

Sonny can't help but smile when he hears the needy noise Mike makes at the kiss on his neck. He feels Mike move under his hands and sighs silently with pleasure as he shuffles to center his body with Mike's and lifts his head. They're nose-to-nose with how Mike's standing, and Mike's mouth is open, lips wet like he just licked them. "I should have kissed you there last night," Sonny says, lifting a hand to stroke his fingertips against Mike's neck.

"You should kiss me on the mouth right now," Mike replies. 

Sonny laughs and leans in, pressing his mouth firmly to Mike's and gleefully opening his mouth in invitation when Mike licks his lower lip. It's a warm, lazy kiss, like they've got all day to spend practicing. Mike's lips are plush, and his tongue slides teasingly along Sonny's soft palate. Sonny sucks carefully on Mike's bottom lip, then tickles the corner of Mike's mouth with his tongue. Mike sighs like he's releasing some great stress, and then he's standing up straighter, cupping Sonny's head with both hands as he leans in, using his height advantage to its best potential. 

It's Sonny's turn to make a needy sound as he slides his hands into Mike's hair, and he makes another as Mike adds pressure to the kiss and starts to drag his tongue deliberately along Sonny's own.

Sonny responds by sucking on Mike's tongue and sliding one hand down the front of his shirt, squeezing a pec before skimming his fingers down Mike's torso and pausing at the waistline of his slacks.

Mike presses against him, trapping Sonny's hand between them, and then he pulls away, gasping and a bit wild in the eyes. Sonny's certain he doesn't look much more put together. 

"We should--" Mike says, then stops. He swallows and stares at Sonny, touches his thumb to Sonny's lower lip.

Sonny tries to think rationally, be responsible about why they're here, but it's hard. Mike doesn't try to finish his sentence, and Sonny doesn't try to start one. He's as breathless as Mike. The kiss has wrecked him. He's shaking with want and desperate to do more, but Mike's not leaning in for more, and Sonny's not going to make him. 

It's a full minute or more before Mike appears to shake off the daze and meets Sonny's eyes. "We should take off our shirts," he says. "Take off each other's shirts. For practice."

Sonny grins, then laughs, then touches Mike's face. Mike leans in and kisses him again. "For practice," Sonny murmurs into his mouth, and this time, it's Mike who laughs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current guess on this fic is five chapters, but let's not pretend like I'm actually good at guessing.


	3. Chapter 3

Mike can't believe he's said something so dumb. _For practice_. But Sonny's laughing kiss makes it okay. The breathless way Sonny clutches at him makes Mike want to tear his vest and shirt off, but then Sonny murmurs _For practice_ back at him, and Mike can't help but laugh. 

"Okay," Mike says, pulling away, "it wasn't my best pitch."

"It was great," Sonny says. "Very responsible. Shows a good work ethic."

"Oh, shut up," Mike replies, laughing again. He can't remember the last time he laughed this much with someone. He tucks two fingers into Sonny's vest and tugs lightly. "May I?"

Sonny glances around, then grabs Mike's wrist and pulls him towards the sofa. He sits, then reclines, tossing his arms over his head like he's got all the time in the world. "Go ahead."

Mike means to undo Sonny's vest, then pull off his tie and open his shirt. He means to strip him down as quick as possible, to touch his skin and feel his body heat seep into his hands. Instead, he finds himself spreading his hands on Sonny's ribs over his clothes and simply looking at him for a long moment. Sonny looks back, his easy confidence undisturbed by Mike's sudden slow down. 

"I…" Mike says, then shakes his head. He rubs his thumbs on the buttons on Sonny's vest and bends down, pressing a kiss just above the first one, right on Sonny's tie. "You're beautiful," he says quietly. 

*

Sonny isn't sure why Mike suddenly goes still once they're on the couch, but he can tell Mike's not scared or embarrassed, so he keeps himself loose and lets Mike touch him how he needs. 

"You're beautiful," Mike murmurs into his chest, and Sonny's very suddenly not loose anymore. 

He's tight with emotion, hit hard from Mike's sweetness. He drops a hand into Mike's hair, then trails it down his cheek to cup his jaw. Mike looks up when Sonny taps his chin. "You are, too," Sonny says, pressing his thumb to Mike's lips. 

Mike kisses his thumb and shakes his head. "Not like you," he says. It's a statement, not deprecation. "You're…" He shrugs and gives Sonny a hopeless look. "I don't know how to say it," he says.

"That's okay," Sonny replies, combing his fingers through Mike's hair. "You've said enough."

Mike gives him a sweet, small smile and undoes the first button on his vest. Then the second. He pauses at the third and looks at Sonny again. "I'm kind of hopeless with crushes," he says. "I don't notice I have them until they're pretty intense, and then all I want to do is be near that person." He undoes the third button, then the fourth, then the fifth. He slides his hand up Sonny's torso so the vest falls open, and his tie gets pushed to one side. "All I wanted to do this morning was be near you."

Sonny can't breathe. This is too beautiful, too perfect. Mike's face is open and honest and full of affection, and all Sonny can do is shiver at his touch and lift his chin so Mike can undo his tie.

*

Mike unknots Sonny's tie with careful movements. He gives up on keeping his hands from shaking as he pulls the tie loose from Sonny's neck. He's said so much, admitted more than he would in a similar situation, but this isn't a similar situation. He doesn't regret it, doesn't worry that Sonny will see him differently.

As if to prove him right, Sonny covers Mike's shaking hands with his own, then pulls them to his mouth, kissing the knuckles. "I'm hopeless the other way," he says, nuzzling the back of Mike's hands. "I know as soon as I have a crush, and then I try to be cool about it, but I know I'm not. I've been looking at you for weeks and hoping you didn't catch me staring."

Mike huffs a laugh, turning his hands so his palms are out. Sonny takes the invitation and intertwines their fingers. "I didn't," he says. 

"You must have kept just missing me, then, because I've been staring pretty hard."

Mike shakes his head and dips down, kissing Sonny quickly, then untangling their hands so he can start on Sonny's shirt buttons. "Well, I'm pretty oblivious, clearly," he says. He opens the first two buttons of Sonny's shirt and stops when he sees the thin, gold chain around his neck. It's holding a circular medal that Mike recognizes instantly as a Saint's Medal. He reaches for it and is surprised to see Sonny turn bright red and slap his hand over it. 

"I'm sorry," Mike says. "Did I--"

"It's nothing." Sonny squeezes his eyes shut, and his face gets even redder. "Are you Catholic?"

"No." Mike looks at Sonny's hand covering his medal, then looks at Sonny's face and it hits him. He's a New York police officer. Sonny's not the first practicing Catholic he's worked with. "Saint Michael," he says. "Patron Saint of cops."

Sonny's whole body goes limp with relief. "Oh, good, I don't have to explain."

Mike throws his head back and laughs. 

*

Sonny wants to feel embarrassed for feeling embarrassed about his Saint Michael medal, but Mike's laugh is inviting, not off-putting, and he finds himself laughing, too. He sits up, holding Mike close by grabbing either side of his shirt, and once Mike's laugh falls into soft chuckles, Sonny reaches up and slowly undoes his tie.

"Oh," Mike says, his breath shaky as he watches Sonny pull his tie out of his collar. "Hi."

"Hi," Sonny says, looking up from his work to meet Mike's gaze. He undoes the first two of Mike's buttons. "There. Now we match."

Mike's smile is perfection, slightly off-center and begging to be kissed. Sonny kisses it. Mike cups his face, and Sonny kisses him again.

Sonny taps Mike's chest just above his third button. "May I?" he asks.

"I'll do my cuffs," Mike offers.

Sonny ducks his head so he can kiss Mike in the spot he just touched. "Teamwork," he murmurs and nuzzles Mike's chest through his undershirt as he finishes opening his shirt buttons. The moment he's done, Mike yanks his shirt off and drops it to the floor. Sonny presses his hands to Mike's stomach before Mike can pull off his undershirt. "Hold on," he says.

"Do we need to slow down?" Mike asks. 

Sonny shakes from head to toe with want. "No. I just wanna…" He feels the shape of Mike's muscles under his shirt, then slides his hands up Mike's pecs and to his shoulders, then down his arms. "I was trying really hard last night not to touch too much," he says. "I just wanted to do it on purpose."

*

Mike feels like he can't breathe, so caught up in this moment that Sonny's words about touching him make him feel like he'll burst into flame. He reaches out and touches the rest of Sonny's shirt buttons, one at a time. "Get your cuffs," he says, surprised at the want in his own voice.

Sonny has his cuffs undone in an instant. Mike works the front buttons open as fast as he can, but he's clumsy with need. Sonny just holds onto his hips like they've got nothing but time. The moment Mike opens the last button, though, Sonny rips it off and throws it one side.

"Oh, look," Mike says, tracing his finger around the collar of Sonny's undershirt. "We match again."

Sonny grins and lets go of Mike's hips to grab the hem of his own undershirt. "On three?" he asks.

Mike reaches behind himself to grab the back of his undershirt. "On three."

"One," they say together, then dissolve into laughter as they both pull off their shirts.

"God," Mike breathes, not sure what else to say. He splays a hand on Sonny's chest and pushes. Sonny leans back easily, grabbing Mike's wrist to make him come along. "Wow."

"You're one to talk," Sonny replies, tracing his finger up the side of Mike's forearm. "Pretty sure they painted you on pottery."

"If they painted me on pottery, then they put you on ceilings," Mike replies. He shifts so he's pressed against the back of the couch, Sonny's back warm under his hands, their chests pressed together so they push each other back and forth as they breathe.

"So," Sonny says after a few quiet moments looking at each other. "This is pretty good practice."

Mike leans in slowly, waiting for Sonny's nod before he kisses him. He starts with Sonny's mouth, then trails a kiss to his cheek, then down his throat to his shoulder. "How's this?"

*

Sonny has to take a moment to catch his breath as Mike slides a hand from his back to his waist and holds him tight as he pushes him away a tiny bit so he can kiss his chest. "Oh, this is really good practice," Sonny manages to get out. When Mike chuckles in response, it vibrates against Sonny's chest, and he's absolutely done for.

"Fuck," he mutters, pressing his palms into the musles in Mike's shoulders as he throws a leg over Mike's hip and tangles his fingers in Mike's hair to pull him up for a proper kiss. "Fuck," he mutters again when Mike bites his lower lip and grabs hard at his thighs. Sonny follows Mike's lead and throws his weight as Mike pulls him, and he ends up straddling Mike, their half-hard dicks pressing through their slacks. 

Sonny gasps at the shock of it and sits up straight, hands pressed flat on Mike's pecs. "Fuck."

"You keep saying that," Mike says.

And, oh good lord, Sonny is pretty sure he blacks out for a couple of seconds at the teasing smile on Mike's face. "You're gonna ruin me," Sonny manages to say. 

Mike looks hesitant for a second, then he runs his hands up Sonny's back, and his eyes go sharp. "Good," he says.

*

Mike can't believe he's said it until it's out of his mouth. It feels so possessive and at least moderately creepy. He has no right to be glad he'll ruin Sonny. They've barely done anything, just kissed and danced, and that's not--

"I'm gonna ruin you, too," Sonny replies and cuts right through Mike's thoughts. He looks predatory in the very best way, like all he wants to do is hold Mike down and show him exactly how many ways he's going to ruin him.

Sonny presses down, and Mike's hips buck up. The shock of pleasure that hits him makes him think about the first time he ever did this with someone. The shaky, adrenaline-fueled lust of wanting more, of needing to touch. He reaches for Sonny's belt without thinking, pressing his palm flat against the buckle in question. Sonny responds by sliding his hands down Mike's torso and pausing just above his waistband. 

Mike licks his lips and watches how Sonny shivers. He wants to drop his hand lower and cup Sonny through his slacks, feel the weight of his dick in his palm. But he stays still. There's something uncertain in Sonny's eyes. Mike swallows hard and manages to ask, "What is it?"

*

Mike's hand on his belt brings Sonny out of his haze of lust and affection and attraction and back into the reality of the moment. He slides his hands down Mike's torso, feeling the way his body moves as he breathes. 

"I…"

"What is it?" Mike asks. His hand doesn't move from Sonny's belt, but his touch softens. His fingers brush above Sonny's waistband in a comforting stroke. 

Sonny meets his gaze, and it takes him a moment to say the words. "I am very, very into what we're doing, but I don't want the first time we see each other naked to be work-related at all." He watches Mike consider what he's saying and breathes a sigh of relief when Mike nods slowly.

"We're not doing…" Mike lifts his hand from Sonny's belt to gesture between them, "this because we need to be comfortable for the assignment."

"Right," Sonny says. "I like you a lot, Mike."

"I like you a lot, too," Mike replies.

Sonny breathes deeply and shifts to one side, dropping off Mike's lap so they're pressed chest-to-chest again. He cups the side of Mike's neck and pulls him in for a quick, chaste kiss. "Thanks," he says.

*

Mike dips in for a second kiss, and he smiles when Sonny meets him halfway. "You're welcome," he says against Sonny's mouth as he pulls back just far enough to brush their noses together. "I like the idea of waiting until after," he says softly. "Knowing it's just you and me liking each other."

"Yeah," Sonny agrees, and the smile he gives Mike is full of warm promise that makes Mike have to bite his lip to keep from saying something incredibly sappy. 

Saturday night can't get here fast enough, Mike thinks, but he keeps the thought to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's hear it for SoundsWithin, who swung in with another beta job. A total champ.


	4. Chapter 4

Saturday takes much longer to arrive than Sonny prefers. He and Mike spend more time together, watching a movie at Mike's one night, dinner at Sonny's the next. They kiss and cuddle and touch, and each time, they stop before they get below the waist. Sonny goes to bed and jerks off frantically, remembering the shape of Mike's arms and how he sighed into Sonny's mouth as they kissed. 

On Saturday morning, he makes a complicated breakfast to help pass the time until he's due at the station for the pre-operation rundown. 

*

Mike stares at his phone on Saturday morning and tries to think of a text to send Sonny that is personal but not suggestive. It's difficult to decide on something. Every time he thinks about Sonny, there's a rush of excitement that flushes his system and all he can think about is how Sonny's cheeks pink up when they've kissed for a long time and how perfectly his fingers wrap around Mike's wrists when he's pulling him close. 

**Mike:** Good morning. I might be looking forward to tonight's job more than usual.

He stares at it for a moment, then presses send. 

**Sonny:** Big fucking mood.   
**Sonny:** ...no pun intended. 

Mike laughs and sends back a smiley face.

*

Sonny walks into the squad room trying not to look overly eager about the meeting. He has a backpack over one shoulder filled with the gear he needs for the night. He spots Mike at his desk and gives him a quick grin. Mike returns it, and Sonny watches the way his fingers clench around his pen. He has to look away. He knows how those fingers feel tightening on his ribs and shoulders and into his hair.

*

Mike tries to stay away from Sonny until the sit-down to run through the plan, but he walks into the breakroom and stops short when he realizes Sonny's in there as well. "Oh," he says. 

Sonny looks up, and Mike has to bite the inside of the cheek to keep himself from saying something flirty.

"Ready for date night?" Sonny asks.

Mike watches Sonny flush, and he takes a step back. "Yeah," he says, "but I should…"

Sonny's gaze is hot, but he nods with a clear effort to keep a straight face. "Yeah. See you later."

*

The pre-op rundown is quick and painless. There haven't been any other attacks, so that puts them where they'd already planned in terms of bars. Olivia finishes reviewing the plan, then looks at Mike and Sonny. "Okay, get changed, you two. We'll be headed that way in an hour."

Sonny suddenly realizes he and Mike have to stand in the locker room and change together. He cuts a quick glance at Mike and catches him glancing his way. He is certain they've just had the same thought. 

*

"Hey," Mike says as he and Sonny walk into the locker room. "I just--" He goes silent as Sonny grabs him and kisses him hard. He kisses back just as hard, holding tight onto Sonny's sides as he turns them and presses Sonny against the wall. 

"Oh, god," Sonny gasps into Mike's mouth when Mike pulls away to take in a deep breath. "Oh, god."

Mike kisses him again, scrambling his fingers up Sonny's sides so he can cup his face. "We should--"

Sonny shivers against Mike and clenches his fingers around Mike's wrists. "One more," he gets out when Mike pulls away to breathe again. "Just one more."

Mike can't say no.

*

"We should--" Mike says, and Sonny grabs Mike's wrists before he can pull away.

"One more," he gasps, not caring if he sounds desperate or needy. 

Mike presses back in, and Sonny slides his tongue alongside Mike's and tries to keep the kiss going as long as possible, leaning in when Mike tries to pull away, teasing him by sucking lightly at his lower lip. He knows there's work to do, but god, they're so close, and it'd be simple to push for a little bit more and finish what they keep starting. Slip his fingers just under Mike's waistband in invitation and come all over each other quick and messy.

But there's work to do. And they agreed they'd wait.

"Okay," Sonny breathes against Mike's lips when Mike slowly pulls away again. "Okay. Okay." 

*

It takes Mike several moments to catch his breath. He hears Sonny saying okay over and over and finally manages to nod drunkenly and step away. Sonny drops his hands from Mike's wrists and wipes his mouth on the back of his hand. 

"My place after everything tonight?" Sonny asks, eyes hot and promising. 

Mike manages another drunken nod and takes two, slightly shaky steps back. "Oh, yeah," he says, not surprised at how husky his voice is. "Yeah. Definitely." 

He has to close his eyes for a moment to pull his focus back where it needs to be. All he wants to do is push Sonny against the wall again and come all over him while they're kissing.

*

They dress with their backs to each other. Sonny finishes first and gets his makeup from his backpack. He applies it all using one of the sink mirrors, and he catches Mike watching. He flashes him a quick smile as he finishes putting highlighter on his cheeks, and Mike returns it, ducking his head like he's a little embarrassed to be caught watching. 

"You look good," Mike says when Sonny's finished with his lipstick and put everything back into his makeup bag.

"Thanks," Sonny replies, turning from the mirror to give Mike a once-over. "You look good, too."

Mike shrugs and ducks his head again. "Thanks."

*

He doesn't mean to be shy when Sonny looks at him in the mirror, but Mike feels like he's watching something special when Sonny puts on makeup. He does it so casually it's clear it's something he does in his off-time, and Mike wonders if Sonny will wear it on one of their real dates. He hopes so. He likes the way it makes Sonny look even brighter, the shimmer on his cheeks and the extra color on his lips make him look almost ethereal, and MIke wants to watch him under warm lights at a nice restaurant and just appreciate the way he is.

*

"Wow," Amanda says when they come out of the locker room. "Damn, Sarge, I knew you were fit, but...wow."

"Please do not perv on my date," Sonny says.

"You also look great," Amanda offers with a grin and a laugh.

"Let's get you miked up," Fin says, stepping forward with the ear pieces. "I've only got a mike for you, Sarge. Carisi, we rigged a camera in a necklace."

Sonny takes the necklace and fastens it behind his neck. It hits right at the hollow of his collarbone. "I'll get eyes on our guy," he says.

"Hopefully, he'll show and take the bait tonight," Liv says as she watches Fin get Mike and Sonny set up. "I don't want to have you guys out every night this week, but we might have to."

"If that's what it takes, that's what it takes," Mike says. "But, hopefully, we'll get him tonight."

*

The club is filling up quickly when they arrive. Mike keeps a hand on Sonny's back as they work their way towards the bar. Mike orders a beer for them both, something they can nurse while they wait and try to spot their guy. 

"Got a possible at the door," Fin says into the earpiece. 

Mike glances that way. A man who fits the general description they have is getting his hand stamped. "I see him," he says. 

Sonny steps closer to Mike, sliding an arm around his waist and leaning his head on Mike's shoulder. He tips his chin up. "Is he looking?" he murmurs in Mike's ear. 

Mike glances at the guy in his peripheral vision. "No," he replies. "Maybe he wants to take a lap."

"Or he's not our guy," Fin says.

Sonny takes a swallow of his beer and gestures towards the dance floor with a questioning look on his face. Mike nods and follows him. Showing off a bit may draw their guy out if he's here.

*

Sonny picks a spot to dance that's closer to the edge of the floor than the middle. If their guy is here, it'll be easier for him to spot them. He turns so his back is pressing against Mike's chest, arms up around Mike's neck. It's a blatantly flirtatious position and also lets Fin and Amanda get a view of the room as he and Mike slowly work their way in a circle. 

He's relieved at how focused he is right now. He'd been worried in the locker room and on the way over that he'd be distracted by how good Mike looks in another tight shirt and a pair of snug jeans. But once they'd pulled up down the block, his mind had cleared and his brain slipped into job mode. There's someone out there hurting queer couples, and they need to stop it. After work is after work. Right now, they're bait, and they need to focus on that.

Sonny shivers when he feels Mike's lips next to his ear. He turns his head slightly and doesn't miss the brief bit of pressure Mike adds before saying, "Two o'clock. He's in a red shirt and khakis."

Sonny shimmies and swings his hips so he can get an easier look at what Mike sees. There's a man on the edge of the dance floor, gaze sharp on them. He looks like he's trying to hold a pleasant, unassuming expression on his face, but his shoulders are tight, and he's holding his drink in a hard grip. 

"Looks pissed," Sonny says. 

"Matches what description we have," Amanda says. 

"So do three others guys you've gotten on camera," Fin adds, "but none of them have looked pissed to be there."

"I'll do a pass by," Sonny says. "Mike can see how he reacts."

*

"Mike can see how he reacts."

Mike clenches his hands on Sonny's hips without thinking. He's been able to keep himself in a professional frame of mind since they walked into the club, but the glare on the man's face sends his instincts into high gear. "That's a good idea," he hears himself say, and he's impressed his voice sounds even. He loosens his hold on Sonny's hips and ducks his head down so it looks like they're merely talking. "Stay in sight."

"Copy that," Sonny says. He presses back against Mike briefly, and Mike is certain it's Sonny's way to reassure him. No way Sonny didn't notice how Mike grabbed him. 

Sonny slips from Mike's grip. "Back in a sec!" he yells, all bright smile and big personality. He shimmies around a couple of other people on the floor, then lets someone stop him to flirt. Mike watches as he keeps moving in time with the music. Sonny walks by the man they're eyeing, flashing him a brief, wide smile as he walks towards the restrooms. 

The way the man watches Sonny walk away, Mike knows it's their guy. The tension in his shoulders eases, and for a moment, his face smoothes out. He doesn't move to follow Sonny, for which Mike is grateful because every single thing about the man is radiating a predator who has picked his evening's prey. 

"Wow," Amanda says into Mike's ear. "You see him make that decision?"

"Yeah," Mike says, moving a bit closer to the man and the direction Sonny went just to be safe. "We got face rec?"

"Working on it," Fin says. "Think you can get him to buy you a drink? If he's paying with plastic, they'll ask his name for the tab."

"We'll try," Mike replies. "I've got eyes on Carisi," he says when Sonny walks out of the restroom.

*

Sonny hears the chatter as he uses the bathroom and washes his hands. He's not surprised by any of it. The hairs on the back of his head had stood up when he'd felt the man watching him walk away. He meets the man's eyes as he walks back towards the dance floor and gives him another smile. The man returns it, but it's not quite right. He doesn't look happy to be noticed. His smile isn't sitting right, sliding back and forth on the left side like it's oily and slick. 

"I was watching you dance," the man says. "You're good."

"Thanks," Sonny replies. He does a little shimmy. "I like to have a good time."

"Me, too," the man says. 

Sonny gives him a light, flirty pout. "Well, I'm here with someone," he says, and he lets himself look at Mike, who is angled most away as he dances to the beat and takes a long swallow of his beer. No doubt so he looks best under the lights. Sonny can't help but appreciate the view for real.

"Well, he's a good dancer, too," the man replies. "But if you're his type, I'm probably not."

Sonny gives the man a long, lingering once-over, making sure to bite his lip a little while he does it. The man is blond and tall, as described by the victims. He has a face that doesn't quite go together. Green eyes with dark brows, a nose that can't quite decide if it wants to be the star of his face, and thin lips with no cupid's bow. His cheekbones are good, but his chin is small, making him look a bit turtlish. He's not unattractive, but put him next to Mike or himself, and he might come off plain or uninteresting. 

"You're pretty good looking," Sonny replies. "Smile at him like you just did at me, and I bet he'll have a crush on you instantly."

The man glances at Mike. "Really? A guy like that going for a guy like me?"

"Well, he went for a guy like me," Sonny replies. "And I certainly don't look like him."

"No, but you're hot in your own way."

"Oh, good, a violent offender with self-esteem issues. What a treat," Amanda mutters in his ear. 

"You're hot too," Sonny says to the man. "Although, it'd be hotter if I knew your name."

The man hesitates a second too long. He's coming up with a fake name. "Josh," he says.

"Well, Josh, I'm Sonny. Let me introduce you to Mike."

*

Mike pushes his hair off his forehead when he hears Sonny introduce himself. His part's coming next. He needs to sell the idea of being interested in Josh. Which is clearly not his actual name. Mike is betting he's paid cash for his drink. He won't forget his fake name that way. 

"Hey, baby," Sonny says to Mike, getting on his toes to kiss Mike on the cheek. "This is Josh. He liked our dancing."

"I bet you noticed him first, though," Mike says to Josh, deciding on the spot to establish a rapport by pretending like he's a little uncertain of his own attractiveness next to Sonny. 

Josh smiles, and Mike sees the shape of it isn't improved by being close up. He'd watched the man smile at Sonny as he'd walked up to him and felt his skin crawl. 

"Well," Josh says, shrugging, "he's a little more sparkly than you."

Sonny laughs, and flutters his eyelashes. "I keep trying to get him to try a bronzer, but he won't have it."

Mike shrugs. "Not my thing."

"Mine either," Josh agrees. He glances at the bottle in Mike's hand. "You low?"

Mike smiles, stepping in a bit closer to Josh as Sonny curls against his side. "I could be," he says. 

"I actually am," Sonny replies. 

"Could I buy you two a drink?" Josh asks. "Maybe we could discuss a few things we might all like to get up to after you're done dancing."

"Read my mind," Sonny says. 

"Mine, too," Mike adds, making sure to give Josh an extra few seconds of attention to feed his ego. He wants his ego stroked by knowing Mike is into him? Mike can do that. 

"Let's go to the bar," Josh says. "I don't want you to think I'd do anything to your drinks."

Mike feels Sonny's hand clench tightly in the back of his T-shirt, and he doesn't blame him. There's a warning sign if he's ever heard one, and matched with Josh's still sticky smile, he knows without a doubt this is their guy. "A gentleman," Mike says. "I like it."

"Me, too," Sonny replies and winds his free arm through Josh's. "Lead the way," he says with an airy wave. 

Mike can't help pressing his fingers to Sonny's back the entire time they work their way through the crowd. The reality of being bait is hitting him in a different way now that the game is on. It always does. It helps to ground him to feel the slight dampness of Sonny's sweat-soaked shirt and know that they're in this together. 

*

Sonny feels Mike's fingers on his back and cuts him a quick, small smile. It's the only thank you he can muster for Mike having his back as they move into the dangerous part of this game. He listens intently as Josh explains that he's just visiting the city for a few days on business and hopes Amanda and Fin are picking up every detail in the van.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back on my bullshit! Sorry for the long delay between updates. I fell hard into Kinktober and wrote 69 (nice) fics. But that is cleared off my list now, and I'm hoping to get the rest of this story all written and up in the next couple of weeks. There's at least two chapters left, I think. But given that it's me we're talking about, there may be more! Who knows?!


	5. Chapter 5

They let Josh buy them both beers--which he pays for in cash--and then they subtly let him lead the conversation. Mike plays up how fit Josh is when Josh mentions he does crossfit. 

"Oh, I'm not fit like you are," Josh says, eyes lingering heavily on the tightness of Mike's shirt. 

"Yeah, but I don't do anything interesting when I work out," Mike replies. "I just lift weights and jump rope and all that stuff. I watch crossfit videos and think, 'Yeah, that looks cool,' but then I never do it."

"He's a little boring," Sonny interjects, leaning towards Josh. "I love him to pieces, of course, but three sets of twenty reps isn't quite the same as throwing tires around." He squeezes Josh's bicep. "Do you throw tires around?"

"Sometimes," Josh says, preening at Sonny's attention. "Depends on the day."

"Oh, sure," Sonny replies, all quietly fawning attention. 

Even in the middle of playing his part, a small part of Mike's attention is taken up by how fucking good Sonny is at this sort of work. If Mike didn't know any better, he'd swear Sonny was truly into Josh and looking to hook up. But he does know better. Not just because they're on the job but because Sonny's angled himself so his hip is pressing against Mike's and every time he plays up to Josh's ego, the pressure increases for just a moment before he starts talking. 

It's a heady sort of power to be the touchstone for Sonny as they do this. It keeps Mike sharply in the game. Focused on their shared goal of getting this guy into a cell by the end of the night. 

*

"So, what is it you two do for a living?" Josh asks after Mike and Sonny have fattened his ego to his liking. 

"I'm an architect," Mike says, and Sonny feels the subtle extra pressure of his body as he says it. It keeps the smile on his face that Mike picked up how he's been grounding himself as they've worked Josh over, and Josh definitely thinks the smile is for him.

"I'm technically a chef," Sonny says, "but it's definitely closer to short-order cook."

"What's your specialty?" Josh asks, leaning in close. 

Sonny cocks his grin to one side to play up the flirtation as he also leans in and says, "breakfast."

Josh laughs, eyes raking over Sonny at the blatant invitation. "Well, I'd love to try it, but my hotel room doesn't have a kitchen."

"We can order room service, then," Sonny replies. "I won't even critique it."

"He'll _try_ not to critique it," Mike adds, and Sonny briefly admires how fondly exasperated he sounds. Like they really are a long-term couple looking for a one-night stand and Mike can't help but tease him a little. 

"I can promise you I've had enough shitty hotel breakfasts, I'll probably complain first," Josh says, giving them both a smile he clearly thinks is attractive. It's not bad, Sonny thinks. Except it's got that same oil slick quality of his others. 

That's an invitation, Sonny thinks, and he mentally prepares for the next part of the job.

*

"That sounds like an invitation," Mike says as he grins back at Josh. Sonny's hand splays against his back, and Mike drapes his arm around Sonny's shoulders. He's pretty sure they're both subtly helping the other prepare for what's next. The most dangerous part of all of this: going back to the hotel and putting on a show to try and get Josh to attack. 

"We accept," Sonny adds when Josh gives him both a hot look. "So there's no confusion."

"Glad to hear it," Josh replies. He downs the rest of his drink and thumps his glass on the bar. Mike catches something dark flash across his face, and from the way Sonny's hand tenses on his back, he knows Sonny sees it, too. Josh is committing to the two of them being his target for the evening. Mike lets the feel of Sonny tucked under his arm soothe his spiked nerves as they all walk towards the exit. 

"Fin's on the street to see which hotel you go into," Rollins says in Mike's ear. "And we've got a couple patrol cops on alert that you're walking by."

They step outside, and Mike spots Fin a little ways down the street. He's looking at his phone, appearing fully engrossed in what he's doing. "Your hotel close?" Mike asks Josh as they get near Fin.

"Just around the corner and up a block," Josh replies as they come even with Fin. "The Marriott."

"I have a friend who worked in that kitchen," Sonny says. "The food is actually pretty good."

"Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint you," Josh says with a grin. 

*

Sonny's relieved when Josh gives the name of the hotel. He knows Fin will still tail them, but with a known location, it'll be easier for Fin to drop back and not be noticed. Josh isn't showing any sign of nerves, but better to have the leeway. 

"I have a friend who worked in that kitchen," Sonny says after Josh names the Marriott. "The food is actually pretty good."

"Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint you," Josh says with a grin.

Sonny returns the grin and makes sure to lean towards Josh a little, keeping him distracted as Fin drops into step behind them. He feels Mike shift closer, no doubt helping block Fin from view as they continue down the street. 

"So, was your company nice enough to book you a king room?" Sonny asks, keeping Josh's attention on him. "Or did they do the usual thing and stick you in a queen because they wanted to save ten bucks?"

Josh chuckles and steps closer to Sonny, sliding an arm around his waist without asking. Sonny lets it happen. The closer Josh is to him, the less likely he'll notice the patrol cops on the other side of the street who are clearly watching them. "It's only a queen, sadly, but I like to watch, so I figure it'll work for our purposes."

*

Mike keeps a smile on his face as Josh slides an arm around Sonny's waist and talks about wanting to watch them. Before he'd started with SVU, Mike hadn't really noticed all the little ways predators ignored boundaries, but watching Josh touch Sonny without asking first makes his skin crawl. He's sure the other men Josh has attacked didn't view any similar touch that way. They'd agreed to have sex. They'd likely flirted just like he and Sonny had. Josh putting an arm around their waist on the way to the hotel wouldn't have seemed out of place. And even if they'd felt a prickle of fear or concern, they likely rationalized it away as just being nerves about having a threesome. 

Every single one of the victims had said the same thing: "He seemed nice. He was charming. He was flattering. He was up front about what he wanted to do. He didn't try to convince us to do anything we weren't into."

Mike keeps himself smiling and chatting as they walk into the hotel and then into the elevator. But he thinks about the men who followed a similar route. Into the hotel, up to the room, half-naked and enjoying the thrill of being watched. 

And then, violence. For being there. For trusting someone who seemed perfectly nice. 

It makes his blood boil, but Mike tamps it down as Josh unlocks the door to the room. He's standing behind Sonny, so he wraps his hands around Sonny's hips and drops his head to nuzzle into Sonny's hair. "You ready to put on a show?" he asks, watching the way Josh shifts his weight as he says it. It reminds him of when he was still boxing for titles; Josh is adjusting his stance and putting his weight on his toes like he's ready to pounce. 

"You know I love to show off," Sonny replies, turning his head and kissing Mike quickly. "Although, once you get your shirt off, I doubt he'll be looking at me."

"Don't sell yourself short," Josh replies as he opens the door and steps to one side so they can walk in first. "I'm sure there's plenty of you to see, too."

*

Sonny grabs Mike's hands on his hips and pulls him inside with him, flashing Josh another flirtatious smile. Josh is holding the door for them--forcing them to enter in front of him and putting himself at an attack advantage--and it sends his instincts yelling, but Sonny pushes it down, the same as he always does when undercover. He's known the whole time he'd be in a compromising situation, and all he can do is rely on his training, on the team, and especially on Mike. 

The room looks like it's barely been touched. There's no overnight bag on the luggage rack, but the closet door is closed, hinting that it may be stored. Sonny seriously doubts there even is one, but there are easier ways to check if Josh really is from out of town or if he's faking. 

"Okay, I can't wait to start, but those beers are trying to escape," Sonny says, shimmying as he lets go of Mike's hands. "You," he says to Mike, tapping a finger to his chest. "Get shirtless and on the bed. I'll catch up with you after I pee."

"Bossy," Mike teases, cupping Sonny's face and giving him a long, lingering kiss. 

"Tease," Sonny replies back as easily when Mike pulls away. Josh is watching them intently. "And you," Sonny says, making a kissing noise at Josh to tear his gaze away from Mike, "you get comfortable however you like."

He ducks into the bathroom, making sure not to lock the door just in case something happens. He doubts it will. The attack pattern has been the same. It's always when the men are distracted by each other, half-naked and vulnerable, that Josh attacks.

The bathroom is pristine. The end of the toilet paper is still folded into a triangle. Sonny pees and checks behind the shower curtain and around the edge of the sink. No personal effects. Not a shaving kit or a toothbrush. He washes his hands, and looks at the little glass tumblers on the tray by the sink. None of them have been unwrapped. The wastebasket is empty. 

"He's from here," Amanda says into his ear, clearly picking up what he's been checking on. "Or he doesn't stay the night where he attacks. Fin's in the lobby asking to speak to the manager. We're gonna get this guy's name off the door number we saw in your camera. There's a team already headed upstairs to you. They'll go on your mark."

Sonny looks in the mirror and nods so Amanda can see he's heard everything. He opens the door and walks back into the main part of the room. 

For a second, he nearly forgets where he is or what he's doing. Mike's stretched out on the bed, shirt off, belt loose, his shoes kicked off. He's got one arm behind his head, and he's trailing the fingers of his other hand up and down his torso while giving Josh a coy little smile. 

"Fuck me," Amanda whispers, obviously getting a look at Mike through Sonny's camera. "Shit. Sorry, Sarge," she adds quickly. 

Sonny laughs. He can't help it. But he works with it, taking two big steps, then flinging himself onto the bed so he makes Mike bounce a little. Mike laughs with him. Josh, he notes, smiles, but it's tight at the edges. He's ready to attack. He just needs them to begin. 

"Sorry, couldn't help it," Sonny says as he sits up and pulls off his shoes. He tosses them over his shoulder, then runs his palm up Mike's chest. He's done this plenty the last few days, following the sway of Mike's muscles as they've kissed or cuddled. It feels natural and easy. He swings a leg over Mike's lap and straddles his thighs. "So much man to get my hands on."

"I could say the same," Mike replies, and his tone is warm and fond, like they've been together like this before, teasing and preparing to have sex. 

Sonny leans over and pecks Mike on the nose. He straightens up and looks at Josh. "Any special requests?" he asks. 

Josh shakes his head. It takes a moment for him to speak. Sonny is certain he's supposed to seem like he's in a bit of a lusty daze, but his eyes are too sharp for that. "I just like watching people enjoy themselves," he says. 

"Well, that's easy, then," Sonny replies. He grabs the back of his T-shirt and pulls it over his head, tossing it towards Josh with a wink. "Hold that, will you?" He yelps when Mike flips their positions, then laughs when he's flat on his back. 

"Well, hey there, big guy."

*

Mike doesn't plan to flip Sonny. But he catches the way Josh's eyes flash at Sonny's bare chest, and his protective instinct kicks in. He's bigger and broader. If Josh manages to get a hit in, Mike can take it more easily than Sonny. 

Sonny yelps when Mike flips them, but he's laughing and smiling when Mike settles on his thighs and touches his chest. 

"Well, hey there, big guy," Sonny says, and Mike bites the tip of his tongue to distract himself from how much that flirtatious tone and smile turn him on. 

"Hi," Mike says. He leans over Sonny, a forearm on either side of his head, then presses their mouths together in a soft, chaste kiss. He kisses Sonny a second time, then a third. On the fourth one, he slides his tongue into Sonny's mouth and sighs in pleasure when Sonny runs his hands up his back. 

It's just like the other times they've done this, Mike thinks. It feels so comfortable and natural to kiss Sonny that it keeps his body relaxed even as he focuses some of his attention on Josh. 

They kiss for a couple of more minutes, then Mike shifts his mouth off of Sonny's. He traces his jaw with his lips, then dips down to nuzzle Sonny's collarbone and chest. He rubs his thumbs on Sonny's nipples, then starts to kiss down his sternum. 

Sonny, for his part, is gasping quietly, his hands cradling MIke's head. "Oh, that's so nice," he says, and Mike's surprised that he can tell Sonny is faking his enthusiasm. He can't exactly pinpoint how he knows, but there's a layer missing in Sonny's voice that Mike knows should be there. Mike turns his face so he can press his cheek just above Sonny's navel and look at Josh. 

Josh meets his gaze. He's flushed pink from his forehead down into the neck of his shirt, and his lips are damp like he's been licking them. There's a glazed look in his eyes, like he's turned on, but he doesn't appear even slightly hard in his pants. 

He's not getting off on watching them, Mike realizes. He's getting off on waiting to strike. 

Mike smiles at Josh, then turns his attention back to Sonny. He works his way back up Sonny's chest, then kisses him on the mouth again. 

"I want to see Sonny on top," Josh says, his voice shattering the silence of the room, even though he doesn't talk very loud.

Mike feels Sonny's breath stall for just a moment. It's coming, he thinks. And to get him to attack, they have to play along.

*

"I want to see Sonny on top."

Sonny feels his breath catch but forces himself not to tense. The more feminine-appearing partners had always been hit first. They'd been on top when it happened. None of the victims had mentioned being told how to act. 

It's an escalation. Minor, but important. Josh is getting confident in his attacks and needs more, so he's going to put them in the position he favors to attack. 

"You heard the man," Sonny says to Mike, keeping his tone light and a little husky. "On your back."

Mike rubs their noses together, a cute gesture of affection that Sonny is sure is Mike's way of letting him know he's as aware of the change in the room as Sonny is. 

"Fin's outside the door waiting for your signal," Amanda says in a whisper over the earpiece. "I don't have good visual right now, so he'll need to hear you."

Sonny sits up and pushes lightly at Mike's chest to get him to lie down. He straddles Mike again, forcing himself not to look at Josh at all. It could break the game if he does. Even from his peripheral vision, Sonny can see that Josh is tense all over. 

"Gonna suck your dick," Sonny says to Mike, his voice nothing but filthy promise. All the victims were moving into position to start oral sex when Josh struck. Sonny slides down Mike's body and undoes the button on his jeans. He pulls the zipper down slowly, hoping he doesn't actually have to take out Mike's dick before Josh will attack. 

There's a sudden whooshing of air, then Sonny hears a dull thump. He recognizes the breathtaking shock of sudden, intense pain on the side of his head, and then he blacks out.

*

Even keeping one eye on Josh, Mike can't move fast enough when the man decides to attack. One moment, Josh is sitting very still in the chair he positioned by the bed. The next, he's on his feet, some thick, circular piece of metal in his hands. Before Mike can even push himself into a seated position, Josh hits Sonny hard on the side of his head, just above his ear. 

Blood spurts from the wound at the same moment Mike flips Sonny to one side and tackles Josh to the floor. The part of his mind that's dedicated so much of his life to police work calmly notes that the angle of the strike keeps the blood from spattering on Josh. There'll be a void where he was standing, just like with the other victims. 

"NYPD!" Mike yells as Josh wriggles out of his tackle and swings the metal object again. Mike lifts an arm to block the blow from coming down on his head and roars in anger when he feels the weapon make contact with the underside of his forearm. He is vaguely aware of the sound of the door being kicked in, of Fin announcing himself as NYPD, of four other cops swarming into the room. Josh is still swinging. A blow glances off Mike's shoulder, and another just misses his jaw. 

Mike lunges at Josh, getting him around the middle, then flipping them both backwards, throwing Josh over his shoulder so he slams into the floor on his back.

"We got him!" Fin yells. "We got him, Sarge."

Mike heaves in a breath and scrambles to his feet. "Sonny--" is as far as he gets because he looks at the bed and stops short. 

Sonny's still slumped where Mike left him. One of the other cops is kneeling next to him, pressing a white hotel towel to his temple. The towel is already staining red. Mike knows, logically, that head wounds bleed a lot, but that doesn't make it easier to watch it happen. 

"EMTs are on their way up," the cop says, catching Mike's stricken look. "He's unconscious, but his pulse is solid."

"You all right, Sarge?" Fin asks, holstering his weapon as two other cops finish cuffing Josh and drag him to his feet. 

"Yeah," Mike hears himself say. He turns his forearm over to see where Josh hit him. There's already a bruise forming. He looks over to where Josh had landed and sees the weapon clearly for the first time. It looks like half a baseball bat. Mike walks over and crouches down to examine it. Fin holds out a pair of gloves. "Thanks," Mike says quietly as he pulls them on. 

He picks it up by the bottom of the grip. It's heavier than it should be because it _is_ a baseball bat. Or at least, it was. The top of it is lumpy. "Homemade," he says to Fin. "I think he cut off the part he didn't need, then stuffed the bat with something before melting it closed."

"Fuck," Fin says quietly. He holds out an evidence bag for Mike to drop the weapon into. "You wanna take care of things here or ride with Carisi?"

"I'll ride with Carisi," Mike says, grateful that Fin's presented him options. 

"Probably should button up, then," Fin replies, and there's a touch of humor in his voice. 

Mike glances down and can't help but laugh for a moment. "Right," he says, then zips and buttons his jeans. 

"Here," Fin says. "Figured you might need them." He hands Mike a white tank and a police jacket. "I'll get things squared away here. Amanda's ready to take this guy on in interrogation. Liv's already got Barba on the horn to meet them back at the station."

"Good," Mike says. He hears the unmistakable rattle of an ambulance gurney and turns just in time to see the EMTs come into the room. "My shoes," Mike says, looking around. 

"Evidence," Fin replies. 

"Right." Mike gives himself a shake and then gives Fin a sharp nod. "Call when you know something."

"Sure," Fin says, easy as you please, but Mike reads in the way he's trying not to smile that he has no plans to actually do that. At least not until Mike calls in to give them an update on Sonny.

"Anyone coming with him?" the EMT at the foot of the gurney asks as he and his partner haul Sonny onto it. 

"Me," Mike replies, stepping forward. "Sergeant Dodds. That's my detective."

"Okay, we're going," the EMT replies. "His vitals are good, and the bleeding's slowing. He been out this whole time?"

"A few minutes," Mike says. He has a sudden flash of sense memory, Sonny slumping down against him as he pushed him aside to get to Josh. "I think he got knocked out right away."

"All right," the EMT says. "Come with us."

Mike follows them out of the room and down the hall to the elevator. He gets on first, squeezing into the far corner when they roll Sonny in. Sonny's eyes stay closed, his face and body completely slack. 

"You hurt?" the EMT at the head of the gurney asks. 

Mike shakes his head, then stops, remembering his forearm. He turns it over to show the bruising as the elevator takes them to the lobby. 

"Get in the back with my partner. He'll get a better look at you."

"Sure," Mike says. He hadn't planned to sit anywhere else, anyway. He needs Sonny in view for as long as he can have it. Once they get to the hospital, he'll likely be whisked away for treatment. Mike doesn't take his eyes off Sonny's face as they walk to the ambulance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It'll be okay. I promise.


	6. Chapter 6

Sonny wakes up and can't focus. He opens and closes his eyes a few times, and grunts in surprise when he tries to lift a hand to rub his face and discovers it's being held down. 

"Easy," Mike says, and his voice sounds tired. "They put an IV in."

Sonny turns his head and squints at Mike. He comes into focus for just a moment, then gets blurry around the edges again. "Mike," Sonny says quietly. He tries to lift his free hand, but it feels so heavy. "Tired," he says. "I'm tired."

"I know," Mike says. "You can go back to sleep. I'm here."

"Okay," Sonny says, and he feels like he's forgetting something as he drifts back to sleep.

*

Mike leans back in his chair but doesn't lift his hand from Sonny's wrist. He has his fingers hooked so he can feel Sonny's pulse, and the slight weight of the IV line against his hand is oddly soothing. It's painkillers and saline, he's been told. The doctors who'd taken care of Sonny in the ER had told him that everything looked fine, but they wanted to keep Sonny for a couple of days because of how long he'd been unconscious. 

Mike had been allowed to stay in his room so he could explain where Sonny was when Sonny woke up. 

"He'll likely drift in and out for awhile," the nurse who had come in to check Sonny's vitals after his admission had told him. "Don't be surprised if he comes to and falls right back asleep. That's common with these sorts of injuries."

"Okay," Mike had answered. 

"And make sure you get some rest," the nurse had added, giving the fresh cast on Mike's arm a sharp look. "You need to heal, too."

"Yes, Sir," Mike had replied.

He's dozed on and off over the last couple of hours, waking any time Sonny's hand moves under his grip or his phone had gone off. Fin's been sending him updates. Josh is claiming self defense, saying Mike attacked him first. Amanda's letting him spin a complete bullshit story before dropping their pile of evidence on him. They've found the man's apartment--he is from the city--and Barba's gotten them a search warrant to investigate for further evidence. 

Mike yawns hugely, feeling like his jaw is about to crack. He rubs his free hand over his eyes and drops his head back, letting himself doze off again as Sonny's pulse stays steady under his fingers. 

*

Sonny wakes up slowly again, feeling like he's having to swim against a current to even get his eyes open. There's someone standing next to his bed, but it's not his bed. "Mike?" he asks. He's asleep again before he gets an answer. 

*

"His vitals are good," the nurse says as Sonny falls back to sleep after saying Mike's name. "The more he sleeps now, the better it'll be for recovery." The nurse gives Mike a pointed look. "That's true for head injuries and broken bones," she says. 

"I'm okay," Mike says. "I've been napping."

"That's not the same as a proper night's rest," the nurse replies. She makes a few notes on Sonny's chart, then leaves the room, giving Mike a small, encouraging smile as she goes. 

Mike leans towards the bed, resting his cheek against the mattress. He starts to drift off, then startles when he hears someone walk into the room. 

"Just me," Fin says quietly, holding up his hands to show a bag he's holding. "Thought you'd like some real shoes for whenever you get out of here."

"Oh. Yeah. Thanks," Mike says. He takes the bag from Fin, unsurprised to find the sneakers he keeps in his locker. 

"I'll tie the laces," Fin says as he sits in the chair next to Mike. "But I won't tell anyone."

Mike gives him a brief smile. "Thanks. How are things going?"

"He's lawyered up, but no one's worried about it," Fin replies, watching Mike wiggle his foot into one of his sneakers. "Amanda's still going through his apartment, so no news there yet. Liv's already called the previous vics to set up a lineup for tomorrow."

"Good," Mike says, feeling relaxed for the first time in hours. He lifts his foot so Fin can tie his laces. 

"How you doing?" Fin asks, giving him a critical look, then glancing towards Sonny. "You need a break?"

"No, I'm okay," Mike replies. 

"Arm hurt?"

Mike glances at his cast. "A little, but it's just a hairline fracture, and I took the pills they gave me."

"Good." Fin taps Mike's foot when he finishes tying the laces and watches him get his other shoe on. "What about Carisi? He doing all right?"

"His vitals are good. He's woken up a few times but falls back asleep pretty quickly. The docs said that's typical. I've texted his folks a few times to keep them up-to-date, but nothing in the last few hours. I figure they need to sleep more than they need to know he keeps doing what they already know he's doing."

Fin doesn't answer right away, just nods. He ties Mike's other shoe, then meets his gaze. "My partner--my former partner--he got shot in the ass once."

Mike lets out a quiet, surprised laugh. "Um, okay?" he says.

Fin shrugs and leans back in his chair. He watches Sonny for a few moments. "Before that, we were friends. He's crazy as a sack of cats and built like a planed-down two-by-four, but we got each other."

"Still not sure what you're telling me this for," Mike says. "You're kind of famously not one to share," he adds. 

Fin snorts. "Yeah, I know. Just, I thought I saw something in the room when we kicked in the door, and I'm just trying to say that the fear he's gonna get hurt doesn't go away, but it's worth it to be honest about how you feel."

"I...Oh," Mike says, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You mean. You and your partner. You're...together?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." Mike looks at Sonny. In the faint light of the room, he looks oddly small, but Mike knows it's just a trick of the eyes. "We're not really dating yet," he says, not looking away from Sonny. "We kind of figured out how we felt about each other while we were getting into character for this case and decided to hold off until after we were done. Just, you know, didn't want to confuse things more than they already were."

"Sure," Fin says. He claps a hand on Mike's shoulder and stands. "Anyone asks, I don't know anything until you tell me I know something, all right? You and Carisi take some time to figure it out. If we could all play dumb about Amanda and Nick, we can give you some space, too."

Mike feels himself smiling. It feels genuine for the first time since Sonny got injured. "Thanks, Fin. I appreciate that."

"Yeah, you call if you need anything."

"Give my best to…"

"John," Fin supplies. 

"Give my best to John."

"I will." Fin leaves with a wave over his shoulder. 

Mike moves towards the bed again and rubs his thumb over Sonny's knuckles. He lays his head on his arm and closes his eyes.

*

Sonny wakes up and doesn't feel like he's fighting his body to do so. He has fuzzy, half-memories of attempting to wake up before but not quite succeeding. He blinks a few times and notices the rails on the bed. He's in the hospital. That's not great. He must have been injured on the case, but the last thing he remembers is going back to Josh's hotel room, so maybe that's not it. 

"Sonny?"

Sonny turns his head and winces when there's a dull throb of pain on his temple. He reaches up to touch it, but Mike lifts a hand and blocks the movement. There's a cast on Mike's arm. "What the hell happened?" Sonny asks, and he winces again because he says it too loud, and it makes his head throb again. 

"You got injured," Mike says softly.

"You're in a cast," Sonny says.

"Hairline fracture," Mike says. "It's okay. I just took my next dose of pain meds, and it really wasn't hurting that much before I did." He stands and leans over the bed, pressing a button to alert a nurse. 

Sonny looks around the room and sees a clock. It's just after five. There's a window to his right, and it faces east. He can see the barest hint of the sunrise. Five in the morning, then. "Last thing I remember was going back to the hotel room," he says to Mike. 

"We were there about ten minutes," Mike replies. "He had a modified aluminum bat he'd cut down and filled with something. He moved so quick, I didn't have time to warn you before he'd clocked you on the head."

Sonny lifts his hand towards his temple again, and Mike blocks him again. "Is it bad?" he asks. 

"You've got a few stitches, and the bruise is pretty big," Mike says. "It's probably safe to touch, but it'll probably hurt."

"Oh, okay." Sonny drops his hand and looks Mike over. He looks tired, his shoulders slumped and his posture a bit slooped. "Have you been here all night?"

"Yeah," Mike says. The smile he gives Sonny is achingly sweet. "I had to come with to get my arm checked out, and then it just made sense to stay. Although, honestly, I'd have been here anyway."

"Mike," Sonny says quietly, wanting to kiss him. But before he can request it, a nurse walks in. 

"Mr. Carisi, it's good to see you awake," the nurse says as she pulls a pen light from her pocket. "I need you to stare at my nose, please."

Sonny does so and manages not to wince away when she flashes the light into his eyes to check his pupils. "My head hurts," he says. 

"Well, you took quite a hit," the nurse replies. "But your pupils are reacting normally, so that's good. Can you tell me your full name, please?"

"Dominick Carisi, Junior."

"And what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a detective with Manhattan Special Victims."

"Good. Is your vision blurry right now?"

"No."

"Any ringing in your ears? Any nausea? Feel like you're going to throw up?"

"Nope."

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Going into a hotel room as part of a case."

The nurse gives Sonny a sharp nod. "That's good."

"How long was I out?" Sonny asks. 

"I'll have to check your chart notes," the nurse says. She picks up his chart and flips through it. "Looks like you regained consciousness a minute or two after arriving in the ER, but you weren't coherent enough to answer questions. You were knocked out for approximately ten minutes, which isn't great, but you're alert and aware now, so that's a good sign." She puts the chart back and gives Sonny a once-over. "I'll let the doctor know you're awake. If you fall back asleep before he gets here, that's fine. He'll just wake you back up to see how you do. If you start to feel nauseated or dizzy or foggy, press the call button immediately, okay?"

"Okay," Sonny says. 

The nurse gives him a reassuring smile, then leaves the room. 

Sonny takes a deep, slow breath and breathes it out, then turns carefully and looks at Mike again. "Ten minutes? How hard did the guy hit me?"

"Hard," Mike says, and his hand tightens on Sonny's wrist under his IV line. "You were out immediately. It was...I was scared."

Sonny slumps back against the pillow and holds out the hand that doesn't have an IV in it. "Get in here," he says. "It'll be a squeeze, but I think we can both fit."

Mike smiles at him, that achingly sweet smile again. "Tempting, but no. I don't want to jostle your head, and you don't want to knock against my arm. I'll be right here. It's okay." He sits in his chair again and leans back, rolling his shoulders. There's a loud _pop_, and Mike sighs with relief. "See? I'm fine."

Sonny doesn't try to argue with him. He just lets the quiet settle around them and watches Mike slowly drop off to sleep. 

*

Mike wakes up ten minutes later when the doctor walks in. He has a quick, sharp stride that makes his shoes clack on the tiles, and it snaps Mike awake instantly. 

"Detective," the doctor says to Sonny. "Do you know what day it is?"

"Sunday morning," Sonny says. 

"Excellent. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three."

"Good."

Mike lets the conversation turn into a pleasant hum on the outer edge of his awareness as he simply watches Sonny respond to the doctor. He looks a bit wan, and the bruise on his temple has spread so far it's blotching his cheek, but he's watching the doctor with clear eyes, and Mike's grateful to get to see it. 

"The bad news is, there's really no way you don't have a concussion," the doctor says after a few more minutes of testing Sonny's memory and motor skills. "The good news is, for as hard as you got hit, it seems pretty minor."

"What's that mean?" Sonny asks. 

"It means that as long as you can eat breakfast and walk under your own power, we should be able to release you later today as long as someone can stay with you."

"I've got it covered," Mike says, and he can tell by the doctor's amused smile that he'd expected that answer. 

"Excellent. For now, you'll have to hurry up and wait. Visiting hours won't start until seven, so try to get some real sleep." The doctor gives Mike a quick, assessing look. "Both of you."

Mike refuses to be cowed, meeting the doctor's gaze with a placid but unmoving stare he'd perfected in the Army. "We'll do our best," he says. 

"Of course," the doctor replies. He gives Sonny a nod, then lets himself out. 

"We'll do our best," Sonny says in a fair impression of Mike's voice. He snickers, and Mike enjoys the way it makes his whole face relax. "Even I didn't believe you, and I've heard you lie through your teeth convincingly before."

Mike can't help his own laugh. "Well, I'm not at my best," he replies. He yawns suddenly, surprising himself with the force of it. 

"Hey," Sonny says quietly, squeezing Mike's hand, "Take a nap, okay? I'm feeling pretty awake, so I'm gonna flip channels, but you can grab some sleep."

"I should call in and let everyone know you're awake," Mike says.

Sonny waves him off. "Hand me my phone. I'll call the Lieu. She can let everyone else know I'm doing better."

Mike wants to protest, but another yawn cuts him off. He reaches onto the bedside table and hands Sonny his phone. "You sure?" he asks before he lets go of the phone.

"I can handle it," Sonny says. "It's just one call."

"Okay," Mike says. He takes his hand from Sonny's so Sonny doesn't have to use his IV hand to hold his phone, and he curls his arm so he can rest his head against it. He settles his broken arm around his waist and closes his eyes. Just as he's about to drop off to sleep, he feels Sonny stroke his hair. "That's nice," he murmurs, not even sure if Sonny's heard him, but he's dropping into a deep sleep before he can ask. 

*

Sonny calls Liv and asks her to make the other calls. She promises to do so and also promises to do her best to keep his family from rushing the hospital. Sonny leaves his phone in his lap when he hangs up, knowing from long experience that his family will be texting him shortly. He finds the TV remote and hits the power button, softly stroking Mike's hair as he flips channels and looks for something to watch. 

Mike murmurs something Sonny can't quite make out, and a minute later, the bed shifts in a way that tells Sonny Mike's asleep, his weight going limp as he drifts off. 

He keeps up his soft stroking of Mike's hair as the texts start to roll in. It centers him, reminding him that he's made it through a tough night, that Mike's safe, too. He wishes it were time to leave already. He wants to be at home with Mike, the two of them curled up in his bed, finally sleeping next to each other the way he's been thinking about for longer than he's willing to admit. 

Sonny starts to drowse as the early morning news program switches to the weather report. He falls asleep with his hand still in Mike's hair, the quiet pinging of his phone not enough to rouse him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to FreckledSkittles for the beta!
> 
> (Also, John and Mike meet in ep 20 of season 17, but I've never really decided where this story exists in SVU's weird-ass time-warp canon [from arrest to trial in three days?! Really?!], so I figured before that worked just fine.)


	7. Chapter 7

The doctors release Sonny after breakfast. Mike tries not to hover as he follows next to Sonny's wheelchair on the way out of the hospital. He checks his phone four times to be sure the Lyft is on its way. 

Sonny stands carefully, a bit wobbly from the pain meds as well as the blow to his head. He leans against Mike without shame as Mike helps him into the car. Sonny doesn't attempt to buckle his seatbelt, so Mike does it for him. He smiles when Sonny presses a quick kiss to his temple. 

"Thanks," Sonny murmurs. 

Mike brushes their noses together before pulling away. "You're welcome."

The ride to Sonny's apartment is quiet. Sonny dozes, and Mike holds his hand. The driver doesn't speak, which Mike is grateful for. He's tired from the last few days and not really up for casual conversation. 

Sonny's all limbs when he gets out of the car. He's not quite awake and stumbles hard against Mike. "Sorry," he mumbles, clearly trying to wake up a bit more. He stumbles a second time just as they step in the building.

Mike presses closer to give Sonny extra support as they wait for the elevator. "If I didn't have this cast on, I could carry you."

"Wow," Sonny says. "How strong are you?"

"Strong enough," Mike replies. Sonny leans against his chest and closes his eyes. He shuffles into the elevator when the doors open and immediately leans into Mike's chest again.

"One step at a time," Sonny mutters to himself as the elevator opens on his floor. 

"Don't worry," Mike says, hooking his good arm around Sonny's waist, "I've got you."

They shuffle down the hall together until they reach Sonny's door. Mike takes a step back to let Sonny get his keys out, but he keeps his hand on Sonny's waist as Sonny unlocks the door and pushes it open. Mike follows him inside, closing the door by leaning against it.

Sonny stands in his living room and looks around like he's not quite sure what to do.

"You okay?" Mike asks. 

"I want to sit on the couch with you, but I think I need sleep. And I figure you need sleep, and you're welcome to crash in bed with me, but this was not how I was imagining getting you into bed after this case."

Mike smiles and steps towards Sonny. He dips down and presses a soft kiss to Sonny's mouth. "I could definitely use a nap," he says. "And as long as you want me in your bed, I'm there."

Sonny rests his head against Mike's shoulder and yawns. "Good," he says. "Because I definitely do."

*

They nap on and off, Mike careful to keep track of the time so neither of them miss their pain pills. The gauze covering Sonny's wound is showing a splotch of blood when they wake up in the late afternoon, so Mike gets the first aid kit from Sonny's bathroom to replace it. 

"I wanna see my face," Sonny says as Mike peels off the old gauze and tape. 

Mike grabs Sonny's phone and hands it to him. He notices the slew of unanswered messages. "I'm feeling more awake," he says as Sonny unlocks his phone and taps the camera open to use it as a mirror. "You want me to tackle your messages?"

"Nah, it's the family group text. I'll send them something in a second and let them talk amongst themselves again."

"Okay." Mike watches Sonny turn his head to get a look at his stitches. 

"Wow," Sonny says as he stares at the bruising and the small, bald patch on his temple where the doctors had had to shave it to take care of him. "He really nailed me."

"Yeah," Mike says quietly, dabbing lightly at the stitches with an alcohol wipe. 

Sonny stays still while Mike applies antibacterial goo and then fresh tape and gauze. "I'm okay," he says after Mike closes the first aid kit a bit harder than necessary. "Nothing that won't heal."

"I know," Mike says, taking a slow breath. He puts the first aid kit on Sonny's bedside table and forces his shoulders to relax. He turns to face Sonny and startle when Sonny surprises him with a quick kiss. 

"Be my boyfriend," Sonny says, stealing another kiss.

Mike huffs a laugh and cups the uninjured side of Sonny's face. "I was already planning on it," he says. 

"Good," Sonny replies. He curls into Mike and tosses his phone onto the bed behind him. "I really, really like you, Mike. Like. A lot."

"I feel the same," Mike replies. He eases them back so they're lying down again. Sonny's warm against him, and Mike matches his breathing. Sonny drops off to sleep again, but Mike isn't tired. He stays put, though. He memorizes the way Sonny's weight presses him into the bed and all the places he's warm from Sonny's body. He closes his eyes and thinks about how the next few weeks might go. As they date and get to know each other as a couple. He wonders exactly how many things Sonny can cook and if he'd want to learn how to box. 

Mike drifts into an accidental nap, warm and safe and absolutely certain he's in love.

*

The next morning, Sonny wakes extra-early. Mike's curled up behind him, his broken arm resting along Sonny's hip. Sonny traces his finger along the cast, then presses his fingers gently to Mike's own. Mike stirs, and Sonny turns to face him, making sure Mike's arm stays where it is. 

"Morning," Sonny says, reaching up to brush Mike's hair out of his eyes. It sticks up in the mornings, apparently. 

"Good morning," Mike replies. His eyes are half-closed, but there's a small smile on his face. He's looking at Sonny like he's exactly where he wants to be. "How do you feel?"

Sonny takes a moment to focus on his injury. There's a dull throb around the stitches, but he doesn't feel woozy or nauseated. "I'm okay," he says. He traces his finger along Mike's cast again. "How about you?"

"I'm okay," Mike replies. 

"Good," Sonny says. He stretches carefully, then sits up. He doesn't get dizzy and sighs in relief. "I'm starving. How about eggs?"

"Sure," Mike says. 

Sonny stands and turns just in time to watch Mike stretch. "Wow, I really hope I get used to seeing you like this."

"Like how?" Mike asks, scratching his stomach idly.

"Soft. Warm." Sonny feels a smile slipping across his face. "All scruffy and messy-haired."

Mike chuckles softly and lifts his hand to run it through his hair. "You look pretty good first thing, too."

Sonny's tempted to argue there's no way he looks as good as Mike, but his stomach growls, reminding him he's starving. "Toast? Sausage? I think I have some bacon, too."

"Sausage," Mike says. 

Sonny hums in reply and walks into his kitchen. He moves a bit more slowly than usual, careful of his sore head. He listens to Mike pad to the bathroom, and then the sound of the water running in the sink. He cracks a half-dozen eggs and whisks them before adding a bit of cheese and some quickly minced spinach. 

Mike comes out of the bathroom with his hair still sticking up everywhere. He walks over to Sonny's desk and pokes through his pen cup. He sits at Sonny's kitchen island and lays a sharpie down next to the cutting board. "I thought you'd like the honors," he says, gesturing to his cast. 

"Absolutely," Sonny says. He dumps the eggs into the hot pan and wipes his hands on a towel before picking up the sharpie and walking around the island. He picks up Mike's arm, flattening his left hand to support the weight of it, then uncaps the sharpie with his teeth. 

He writes his name in block letters. SONNY. After a moment's hesitation, he draws a line of hearts under his name. 

"I like it," Mike says, looking at Sonny's work. 

"I really, really like you," Sonny says, intentionally repeating to Mike what Mike had said to him yesterday. "A lot." He adds one more heart under his name because he knows he's an inch from falling in love, but it's a bit early to announce that. 

"Come here," Mike says, pulling Sonny in for a kiss. There's a low-key urgency to the kiss, like Mike is holding himself back. Sonny doesn't mind. He can feel the care and affection Mike has for him, and it makes him warm with happiness. 

"Do you want to come over to my place tonight?" Mike offers. "We can watch a movie. You can bring a suit and stay over."

"Yeah," Sonny replies, cupping Mike's cheek in his hand. "That sounds like a great way to officially start things off."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they lived happily ever after with three dogs. Thank you to everyone who has enjoyed this story! It means so much!

**Author's Note:**

> "Gayle, didn't you just finish a Dorisi WIP?"
> 
> Yes. Hush. I don't think this one will be nearly as long as the previous.
> 
> "Gayle, didn't you get surprised at how long the other one--"
> 
> HUSH.


End file.
